


Side Effects Include: Empathy

by Word_Devourer



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, Additional Powers, Alya/Nino Anniversary shenanigans, Before a classic..., But also 3/4 love square, Empathic Adrien Agreste, F/M, Featuring Lila Rossi being an absolute terror, Fluff, I mean she vanished again but she was there and important for a few chapters, Nightmares, Rapidly approaching Clusterfluff, Took Kagami long enough to show up but she has finally arrived, and then more fluff, one-sided reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-03-20 05:14:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 63,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18985999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Word_Devourer/pseuds/Word_Devourer
Summary: Adrien develops touch-based empathy from using a Miraculous as long as he has.This can only go well.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I kind of wanted to write a story like this, but the final straw, so to speak, was a post by one 'Yunyin,' which gave me the inspiration for how the contact might happen.  
> That would be this post:  
> https://yunyin.tumblr.com/post/185160889075

Adrien didn’t know how he’d gotten there.  He didn’t know when he could _possibly_ have gotten here, but…

He could see a planet, a ball of stone and gas, crumbling, swirling like so much dust away, into a blindingly bright flare of light.

The sight should have bothered him, or scared him, but more than that, Adrien felt… Quietly pleased, watching it disintegrate.

He became suddenly aware of… Something; a presence had seemingly noticed him just as he had noticed it.

It didn’t have a body, or a face, or, anything, really, but he knew it was there.

From nothing, it let out a familiar, annoyed groan.

“Oh, come on, not _this_ one again.”

“What?”

“Alright, get up,” said Plagg, not responding to the question.

 

Adrien sat upright in bed, breathing hard, eyes wide.  Plagg floated lightly up from where he’d been asleep on his chest.

Adrien glanced at the clock, and saw… It was a few minutes before he was supposed to get up, but that wasn’t really what was bothering him because…

“Plagg?”

“Mm?”

“What… Did you…?  What just happened?”

Plagg groaned, the sound almost identical to the one Adrien had heard in his dream.  It was annoyed, more than anything.

“You… Just ended up in my dream.  Or… Well, it’s more of a memory, but the point is, you were there.”

“I… I know.  That’s the _problem!”_

“Oh… You’ve got no idea what the problem is.”

“Plagg?”

“See, it’s pretty common; if you use a miraculous for long enough, weird things happen.  Had a guy, kept destroying things randomly when he touched them, wasn’t even transformed.”

His eyes went wide again.  “Is that… Going to happen to me?”

Plagg shrugged.  “No idea.  What _you’ve_ got, is…” he put a tiny hand up to his face, and sighed… “Empathy.”

Adrien blinked.  “Like… What?”

“You feel emotions.  Other people’s.  At least, probably.  Usually, that ends up letting you share dreams, so if you’re sharing dreams…  You’ve probably got empathy.”

“So…  Wait, what?  Why?”

“Because—” Plagg cut himself off, shaking his head.  “Like this.”

He floated forward, and pressed a hand to Adrien’s forehead.

For a second, Adrien didn’t notice anything, but then…

It was like…  Like…

“Rumbling?”

“Probably.”

“Like… Purring, almost.”

“Yeah, that’d be me.”

“That’s what your… emotions, feel like?”

“They make sense if you’re as old as I am.  Not so much if you’re young by human standards.”

“I see.”

There was a second of silence, and then…

“You said… ‘Not this again,’ right?”

“Yup.”

“Is… Is something bad about this?”

“Oh _no,_ I’m sure _you’ll_ love it, but _I’ll_ have to listen to you talk about how everyone you know feels around you for the rest of your life, or… Which’ll be bad enough if you _don’t_ get the part where you can feel their emotions without touching them.”

“Ah…”  Adrien went silent.  “Well… You’re old, right?  The rest of my life should only feel like a couple seconds, to you!”

Plagg gave him a withering look.

The alarm rang.

…

By the time he’d showered, gotten dressed, given Plagg his cheese, eaten, and, well, ridden to school… Adrien was worried.

It wasn’t like he was a naturally anxious person.  He was pretty sure that he wasn’t about to ruin his life by taking a peek at how people thought when they were around him, and when he’d asked Plagg on the ride over, he’d been assured that he couldn’t actually _affect_ someone’s feelings towards him like this.  The most he’d be able to do was get inside information on what his words did, which was…Better?  It wasn’t like he was even planning to do _that_ much.

So, why did he feel like he should be wearing something long-sleeved?

It didn’t matter.  He _wasn’t_ wearing something long sleeved, was the simple fact of it, and if he turned around now, Nathalie would probably want an explanation, and that… Wouldn’t be good.

He pushed through the doors, and started for the lockers.

It was early, and, unsurprisingly, nothing happened in the dozen or so steps between the main entrance and the lockers.

As he stepped into the locker room, he saw Nino, sliding his locker closed.

For a second, Adrien was surprised to see him here so early, since on the rare occasions Adrien was able to keep up with his alarm, Nino wasn’t here when he arrived.  And then he realized… This was his one-year anniversary with Alya, which presumably meant he had to one up _her_ 6-month gift.

Nino seemed almost scared at the sight of him, but he brightened almost immediately.

“Dude!  Thought you were Alya.”

“Let me guess…” He nodded at the locker.  “Flowers?”

He grinned.  “For a start.  That’s just to get her warmed up.  The _real_ gift is _after_ school.”

“And what _is_ the real gift?”

Nino stepped forward, placing his hands onto Adrien’s shoulders.

“Dude.  You _know_ she’s gonna ask you about it.  Can’t take that risk.”

The sensation was muffled by the shirt, but Adrien felt…

//

_Softly, there’s the sensation of warmth, like standing in the shade of a tree on a summer day.  He almost isn’t sure he feels it, because it doesn’t feel much different from talking to Nino normally._

_He can feel, skimming across the surface, the sensation of Nino’s mind running.  He’s pleased, excited, and maybe a bit nervous.  There’s even an unexpected amount of… Deviousness?  Probably that ‘surprise’ he’s getting ready._

//

Adrien sighed, smiling, the nerves he had earlier largely dispelled by Nino’s easy presence _._

“Alright, alright.  Keep your secrets.”

Nino grinned.  “I will.  If she asks, you have _no idea_ what I’m doing.”

He laughed, as Nino pulled his hand away.

“I mean.  I _don’t_ know.”

“ _Exactly._   If she pushes… Maybe give away the flowers?”

“You _do_ realize she’s probably got something planned for you, right?”

Nino snorted.  “I’m counting on it.”

And with that, he walked out, leaving Adrien alone.

…

Adrien didn’t have much to do at his locker, so it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes before he was walking to the door, only to come face to face with Alya.

If he’d thought Nino had looked suspicious, Alya looked like she was on the trail of a criminal, and her clothes seemed… A bit more formal than usual?  She looked as if someone had told her to dress up, but to be casual about it.

She glanced past him.

“Have you seen Nino?” she said.

“Why?”

She looked at him.  “It’s our anniversary, and he’s _definitely_ got something planned.”  She looked back up at him.  “Actually…  I don’t suppose he’s told you anything, has he?”

He laughed.  “Nothing.”

Alya squinted at him, visibly suspicious.

He wasn’t quite able to restrain the urge to pull away, slightly.

She cocked her head.

“You know something.  He’s got something planned, and you know about it.”

“No!  I don’t know anything.”

“What is it?”

“I- Wh- I have no idea!”

“Tell me, Adrien.”

“I- Uh- I- Alya, are you- What are you-“

“Tell me.”

“Wh- I don’t know!”

She stared him down a second longer, and…

She pulled back, expression suddenly much less imposing, and gave him a confused, nearly _amused_ look.

“Interesting.  So whatever it is, you’re not part of it.”

She stepped neatly past him.

He turned, staring after her, bewildered.  Her fingers twitched like a pickpocket contemplating a theft.  She’d interviewed Chat Noir several times, but that was-

“Wait, Alya,” he said, staggering after her, hand catching her shoulder as she walked away. “Since when do you interrogate people like that?”

//

_Alya’s mind is practically buzzing.  Excitement, glee, and nerves burn throughout.  It feels like an engine running at full speed._

_She’s… Apparently having the time her life, right now._

//

She turned, and as his hand fell away, she smiled, in a way that seemed almost surprised.

“Since Nino has, and don’t tell him I said this, managed to keep me in the dark about something, and I’m not sure whether to be angry at myself or impressed with him.”

As if on cue… Possibly literally on cue, considering he shouldn’t have _needed_ to come back in here, Nino pushed through the door.

“Oh, hey dudes.”

“Nino!  What are you doing?” said Alya.

Nino laughed.  “Going to my locker?”

Alya stepped back.

“So…  Do you remember what today is?”

“Tell me.”  Nino put down his backpack, and went to his locker.

Alya glanced at Adrien, raising her eyebrows.

“Well… I find it hard to imagine you’ve forgotten, but it’s been a full year since we got locked in a cage together.”

“No kidding?” said Nino, reaching into his locker.

“No kidding,” said Alya.  “And from what I’ve gathered, you _know_ that, and-

“Hold these, would you?” said Nino, almost absently handing her a bouquet of flowers.

Alya blinked, taking hold of them.

“Wh—” She didn’t seem entirely certain what had happened.

Nino pulled back from the door, and looked at her.  “Call that payback for our first kiss!”

Adrien, for his part had heard the part of the story where Nino had been so shocked when she’d kissed him he hadn’t been able to speak for a minute.  He and Nino had laughed about it after the fact, but apparently, he’d been a bit embarrassed at the time.

Alya looked half offended, for a second, and then…  She laughed “And they’re Tiger Lilies.”

“Had to ask Marinette about that one, but she said you…” he glanced for an instant at Adrien, “had sort of a connection to them?”

Alya snorted.  “Yeah.  I do.  And, even if I didn’t, they really _are_ lovely.”

She looked down at the flowers, then up at Nino, and idly tapped at her lips.  “I’m wondering if I should kiss you now, or see if I can bribe you later to let something slip.”

Nino grinned.  “Either way, I won’t tell you.”

“Well, in that case…” she said, grinning back.

“Aand, I think I should be going,” said Adrien, laughing, as their faces met.

He turned, not registering the sound of the door opening, not registering the unexpected _slam_ of-

// _Panic, worry_ //

As he staggered back, he looked down, and came face to face with Marinette.  They seemed frozen in space…

And then she slipped, and he reached out, hands slipping under her arms, even as she grabbed onto his sleeves, and he was just about to be surprised that her emotions had deserted her when-

//

_He realizes that her mind had simply been processing events, as she hits him like a train, harder even than her body had._

_The first thing to make contact is a blast-furnace of warmth and care, as if he’d opened a hot oven incautiously.  And… Something else, which he couldn’t quite make himself put a name to.  He feels his face shift, a shade of red the twin of hers.  It’s… It’s a bit like Nino’s, but more urgent, in a way that feels like it’s reaching directly into his stomach, and_ twisting.

_As if that alone isn’t enough to grapple with, he feels the fear rise behind it.  Panic.  Irrational, gripping panic.  Her hands scrabble at his sleeves, as she tries to pull herself upright._

//

Marinette regained her feet, but seemingly hadn’t quite gained the presence of mind to pull away.

He needed to let go.  She was on her feet, and it wasn’t like they were together or anything, and it was kind of weird for two friends to be randomly holding onto each other like this, and-

// S _ome kind of pleasure bubbles up through the embarrassment, and some semblance of… hope?_ //

He blinked, clearing his throat.

“Uh… Marinette, hi, um, are you okay?”

She giggled, and he would have known she was nervous even if he _hadn’t_ had a direct link to her mind.

“Fine!  I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m…”  // _panic_ // “Fine.”

She finally managed to get the presence of mind to pull away, and…

She pulled away hard enough that his fingers, which had seemed for an instant frozen stiff, as if by rigor mortis, didn’t even have a chance to hold her in place.

It seemed even Marinette was surprised by how hard she’d pulled away, barely keeping her feet.

He laughed, a little nervous himself.  “Sorry, guess I didn’t see you coming.”

“Ah- No, that’s… That’s my fault I was in a hurry and I didn’t look where I was knowing- Ah, going!  I… You know…”

He slid out of the door.

“If you- if you’re heading in, fair warning, there might be a bit more kissing than you’re comfortable with in there.”

“Oh, I don’t mind kissing,” she said, and her eyes widened, “I mean!  I don’t mind kissing if it’s with the right person,” she seemed to have lost control of her train of thought, “I mean!  Not that I think there’s anyone in _there_ I’d want to kiss, because the only person I want to kiss is… Probably, not, in there?”

Normally, he’d have brushed that off, but after what he’d just felt…

He forced a smile.  “Right.  Well, it’s Alya and Nino, and it’s their anniversary, so we’ll probably have to be used to them being a bit more… y’know… than usual.”

“Ah!  Right!” looking at the door both as if to avoid looking at him, and… As if weighing the option.

Adrien took the opportunity to walk rapidly away, thanking whoever was responsible for the fact that his blush had at least waited _this_ long to hit him in earnest.

This was… He was…

He hadn’t expected this, and he didn’t know what to do about it.

_What was he supposed to do about it?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien thinks about what he should do next. It's... more complicated than he thought.

Adrien made his dazed way to the classroom, barely able to process what he’d felt.

He avoided even the barest contact with everyone he passed because…

Well, suffice to say he didn’t know how Marinette was still alive; if he felt emotions like that on a regular basis, he’d _explode,_ or… Not that he was capable of that, and, for all he knew, that’s how Marinette thought about it, too, but…

He felt like a single off-handed high-five would be the straw that broke his back.

Okay.  Okay.

He could… Handle this.

He sat down.

Now…

Nino and Alya would probably be distracted making out, or… flirting, or playing their game of spy vs. spy, or really, anything in each other’s company.  So he would have a short time where they wouldn’t distract him.

And Marinette…

Marinette would be distracted too, wouldn’t she, for the same reason he’d was?  She’d been…  _Nervous, something had been bothering her,_ even before she’d crashed into him.  For that matter, it was _because_ she’d been distracted that she hit him.  Surely, one way or another, she’d be thinking about something else.

So, he had a moment to get his thoughts straight.

 

Nino wasn’t a surprise.  Neither was Alya.  Disregard his ‘revelations’ about them, for a second.

Marinette was the surprise.

He’d been pretty sure they’d been friends.  Of course, he’d occasionally wondered if she was more friends with Alya and Nino, and he was just… on the side, but, on the whole, they certainly weren’t _not_ friends.

He’d have doubted it for the first several months they’d known each other, when she’d barely said a word when he was around, and the ones she did came out muddled and uncertain.  Back _then_ he’d have guessed she might still dislike him, or that she was somehow _intimidated_ by him, which seemed… unlikely, but possible.

Now, though, he was eternally delighted by the fact that she was willing to exchange pleasantries with him in a semi-normal fashion.

Or… He had been.

He still was.

He-

The point was, he’d been pretty sure that she liked him, and of course, she was a very good… very good friend.

But that was…

That was…

How, she, felt, around her friends?

She cared deeply, and it came through in how she acted, always helping people, and…

And…

And he was fooling himself.  When he’d touched her, he’d felt the same feelings he had around Ladybug, albeit spiked with fear.

She liked him.

She liked him, and more to the point, she…  She…  The word was peculiarly difficult to say.

She… Had a _crush_ on him, say.

It was the wrong word, but… But the right word was terrifying to have applied to her, about _him_ of all people.

Luka, maybe, he’d have had some idea what to do about it; congratulate Marinette on finding someone who…

He was getting sidetracked.

Because it was when she’d looked at _him._   It was when she’d run into _him._

The embarrassment had been an afterthought.

The fear had been secondary.

She… Cared about him.  Urgently.  Desperately.  _Terrifyingly_.

It was _intoxicating_.

Nino sat down next to him, but didn’t say anything, thankfully.

Okay.

So… Marinette… _Liked_ him.

What then?

What was he supposed to do?

He didn’t ‘know’ about it.  He might as well have seen it in a dream, as far as Marinette was concerned.

How was he supposed to tell her that he-

That he _what?_   Liked her back?  _Did_ he?

Right now, part of him would have melted into her arms, with an unresisting _yes._

But could he really say that?

Could he-

No, wait!  _Ladybug!_   What had possessed him, that he was forgetting about her!?  She was the girl whose fault it was that he’d even been able to _recognize_ Marinette’s feelings!

Surely he couldn’t possibly do _anything_ without at least looking _carefully_ at what she felt about him.  Then, if she didn’t, he could…

What was he saying?  Was all it took to make him consider giving up on her feeling that someone else cared about him?  Did he really fall apart that easily?

After what had happened with Kagami, he’d been sure that he wouldn’t give up so easily next time.

And Kagami, for that matter…  What would happen if he touched _her?_   They called her the Ice Queen, but he knew for a fact that she had emotions underneath her cold exterior.  Were they as strong as Marinette’s?  And what about Ladybug?

He felt his breath catch.

For once, he’d have the chance to find out what Ladybug _really_ thought about him.  When she rolled her eyes at his jokes, did she really find them funny?  When she turned down his advances, was there really no trace of regret?  Did she care as much about him as he did about her?  Even if… Even if she didn’t feel the _same,_ did she feel as strongly?

Except, of course, that it was only when he touched someone.  He could feel it through people’s clothes, of course, albeit muffled, so it wasn’t like she was as ‘immune’ as she looked, but then again, how often did he really make physical contact with her.

Well… Occasionally, she saved him from falling, or a villain would knock them, and they’d end up on top of each other, or, of course, they usually had a fist-bump at the _end_ of a fight, but that hardly counted, if he was trying to take a _proper_ look.

And there again, was this… It was an invasion of privacy, surely.

His heart sank.

Ladybug kept her secrets on purpose.  Surely if he went probing around her mind for information, even as general as how she felt…  There was no way he could feel good about doing that, was there?  Just like how there would have been no way to feel good about uncovering her identity on the occasions where he’d had the chance.

So, what, was he just supposed to float in limbo, now?  Let Marinette’s feelings towards him go utterly unrecognized, unhandled, just because he couldn’t talk to Ladybug?

Unless…

He was an idiot!  He _could_ talk to Ladybug; he just couldn’t use his new powers.  For that matter, he had the perfect reason to do it.  After all, wasn’t it the kind of information you shared with your partner that you’d developed new superpowers?  Especially one that you kept even when you weren’t transformed.

That would work, right?

He shook his head, bringing himself back into the moment.

Nino was watching him out of the corner of his eye, expression concerned.

Class had started, Adrien realized, and in fact…  He glanced up at the clock.  Of course.  Class had _been_ started for a good 15 minutes, now.

He should… Probably focus.  Try to make it through the day, and, hopefully, avoid touching too many more people.

\--

Marinette had panicked in the moment, but held herself together, for Alya’s sake.  Alya already spent so much of her time helping Marinette with Adrien that… It just seemed wrong to force it on her on her _anniversary._

That didn’t change what had happened, though.

Everything had gone crazy today.

She’d woken up late enough to put a scare in her, tried to search for one of her notebooks, and then, when she’d unthinkingly tossed a textbook behind her, heard the _thunk_ of it denting the wall.

That alone would have been enough to unnerve her, and indeed it had, and still, to some extent, _did,_ especially since she hadn’t had the chance to tell her parents about it, but the problem was, that had been the _start_ of things.

Marinette wasn’t exactly… Graceful, at the best of times, but today, she’d felt completely out of control, and worse than that, her ‘out of control,’ was actively dangerous.

The trapdoor to her room had swung up so easily that she’d overbalanced and almost fallen down the ladder.  When she’d pulled back in panic, she ended up jumping a couple inches, and coming down on the very textbook she’d thrown.

The problem had been that the world seemed… Weaker?  Or she was stronger, or, _something_.

The front door had easily swung, almost hitting the outside wall, and…

And so had the door to the lockers.

Poorly oiled doors, that usually required a bit of force to open, and in her haste, she’d pushed altogether too hard, and tumbled forward, and…

And then she’d landed in Adrien’s arms.

The memory still burned in her mind, _fresh._

He’d caught her, kept her from falling.  She could _still_ feel his hands supporting her back.  She could still feel him looking at her, as if he was staring, surprised, directly into her soul.

He hadn’t said a word.  He hadn’t asked if she was alright.  _He_ hadn’t pulled away.  For that matter, his face had been red, too, if not as red as hers must have been.

She knew how _Alya_ would have tried to explain it, but… She wasn’t telling Alya.  At least, not today.  Alya could hear all about this _tomorrow,_ after she and Nino had gotten to have their day together.

And as for Marinette, she was confused.  Confused, mainly, because while she knew that part of growing older was growing stronger, she hadn’t expected it to be this _sudden,_ and she _especially_ hadn’t expected it to be this _severe._

Something was clearly afoot, and she had a feeling she knew the source.  She hadn’t gotten the chance to ask Tikki, but she did remember something.

She remembered the time she’d asked Master Fu about his age; more to the point, she remembered thinking he’d been joking when he said he was almost 190.

Of course, she’d asked about it, but he’d just smiled, and said that holding a Miraculous could do strange things to a person.

Strange things certainly felt about right for what she was going through right now.

In the meantime, though, if anyone asked, she’d just inherited some of her father’s strength, and it was nothing too strange.

Also in the meantime, she’d have to make sure she didn’t accidentally hurt herself, or anyone else, for that matter.  And, that in mind… Well, suffice to say, she wasn’t sure if she should count herself lucky that she hadn’t done Adrien serious damage.  Best to avoid contact with people until she had a better handle on things.

Okay.

She could do this.

\--

He’d made it past lunch, and everything had been going just fine.  He even had a plan, now!  All he had to do was make it to the end of the day, and with any luck, Ladybug would be out and about, and they could talk _then_.  And from there…  Well, he’d just have to wait and see.

He just had to keep up the no-touching rule for a few more hours, and he’d have a chance to sit back, and work things through.  And really, what did he even have to worry about?  It wasn’t like he knew anybody who’d make this harder than it needed to be, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! Adrien is going to have a completely uneventful rest of the school day, and nobody else is going to touch him and give him worrying revelations! That is absolutely not going to happen!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien has an unpleasant encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha! I lied; Adrien *will* face challenges before the end of the school day, and it won't all go smoothly!
> 
> You were all, definitely, absolutely, fooled by my sneaky end note on the last chapter.  
> Definitely.

_It wasn’t like he knew anybody who’d make this harder than it needed to be, right?_

Oh.  Right.

Adrien’s heart sank as he saw Lila catch sight of him.  Normally, he’d have been cautiously optimistic, but normally, he was with Nino, and she didn’t interact with him when he had friends around.

As glance confirmed that Nino and Alya were engaged in what looked like high stakes flirtatious cross-interrogation.  No help there.

“Oh hi, Adrien!” she said, voice bright and bubbly as usual.

He forced a smile, and backed away as quickly as he could without making it obvious.  “Oh, hi, Lila.”

He attempted to slip to the side, get past her without making it too obvious that that was what he was doing, but…

“You know how you said you wouldn’t mind helping me study?” she said, sliding in _far_ closer than he was comfortable with, “Well, I was thinking that today would be a _perfect_ day for it, and my grades in science have been dropping after the last Akuma attack.  I just don’t have it in me to focus when there’s danger lurking around _every corner_ like you guys do! _”_ She said the last part gripping onto his arm in what was clearly _meant_ to be sympathy-inspiring terror, but actually…

//

_Lila’s emotions are unsettlingly quiet, especially compared to what he’s already experienced.  There’s sharp, burning triumph, pleasure, and not much else.  Except… Behind that, he feels… Something fluid, nebulous.  It’s not moving right now, but if Alya, Nino, and Marinette were islands, she’s a fleet of ships._

//

Adrien tried to steady his nerves at the strangely disjointed emotions he couldn’t quite get away from.

“Well…” he said, “I was actually… Planning to talk to Marinette, before—” // _Sharp, burning anger at the name, that almost makes him feel sick_ // “—Before class started again.”

Lila’s face betrayed nothing but understanding politeness and mild regret, as internally- // _A shift in the fleet, dizzyingly quick_ //.  “Oh, well, I’m not sure she’s feeling very sociable today; the poor girl—” // _A stab of vicious pleasure_ // “—has barely said a word all day!”

That was true, Adrien was sure, but…

“Ah, right,” he said, starting to lose his nerve, “well, I mean, I’ve also been a bit out of it today, I was just curious about something, and, well, I suppose you’re right, so maybe I should just go back to my seat in class, and try to rest.”  He tried to pull away, but her arm squeezed in such a way that it didn’t quite work.

“That’s a _great_ idea,” she said, “and then if I have any really urgent questions of my own, I can ask you without bothering you too much!”

He wanted to pull his arm the rest of the way away, but he wasn’t sure he could do that without making a scene, and-

// _He almost buckles as something like a crackling web of fury fills his chest.  He takes a breath, and the air itself seems to be full of fear, which is almost immediately crushed into oblivion_ //

He looked up, and Lila was still smiling beatifically.  He followed her gaze, and…

Marinette was visibly annoyed, but little more.

His mind caught up to his body.

 _He needed to talk to Marinette, as soon as possible, and most of all, he needed to_ get away from her.

He wrenched his arm away.

“I need to go to the bathroom, _right now,”_ he said, and without a backward glance, almost _ran._

“Wh- Adrien, is something wrong?” came Lila’s voice from behind him.

He didn’t respond.

He needed to make it through the day, but after what he’d just felt, there was no way he’d be able to do it quietly.

\--

Marinette had pulled herself together, more or less, which meant that seeing Lila latched onto Adrien _did_ kind of turn her stomach, but she’d been prepared to deal with it.

It _did_ surprise her to see him run away.

Lila seemed confused as well, though there was every chance she was faking the expression.  She started after him, and Marinette… Followed.  Whatever was happening here, she needed to know about it.

She slipped into the lockers, following Lila, following Adrien.

It was immediately obvious that Adrien had gone for the bathroom, since that was where Lila was standing.

 _“Adrien?”_ she said, voice all concern, “Are you okay in there?”

For a wild second, Marinette wanted to step up behind her, and find out _exactly_ how far her new strength went.  She shook the thought off.  That was the wrong way to handle this, and Lila would use it to paint her as a villain, and for once, she wouldn’t be entirely wrong.

No.  She needed…

She slipped behind a row of lockers, out of Lila’s line of sight.

And…

She met Chloe’s gaze.

Well, _this_ was an unpleasant locker room, wasn’t it…

Chloe scoffed.  “ _Excuse me?_   I don’t believe I gave you permission to be within 10 feet of…”

She trailed off, as Lila’s voice rose over the lockers, “Are you _sure_ you don’t want me to come in?  If there’s nobody else in there, and you’re really feeling sick—”

For a second, Chloe looked over at where Lila _would_ be visible if the lockers were made of glass.  Her expression twisted, and she looked back at Marinette, and…  Clearly and visibly rolled her eyes, as if to imply that she was leaving this conversation because she doesn’t care, rather than, say, any other reason.

She walked out, and for a second, Marinette almost misses the days when Chloe was her biggest concern.  At least everybody _knew_ Chloe was a jerk.

She focused, and managed to catch the tail end of Adrien talking to Lila.

“No, please, it’s fine.”

“But Adrien, what if I leave, and something _happens_ to you?  I’d be _sick_ over it!”

“It’s not _that_ bad, just… I don’t feel so good, and I’d prefer to wait until I feel better to leave.”

There was a silence, and finally, Lila sighed.  “Alright.  I’ll let Mme. Bustier know where you are, and then I’ll be back.”

Marinette slid a bit further from the door as she walked out.

And she was off…

Okay.  So, that was a few minutes she _needed_ to get to the classroom, and tell Mme. Bustier, not including the time she’d spend milking the situation to anyone she might meet on the way.

Marinette slipped over to the door.

“Adrien?  Are you okay?”

“Marinette!?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

He sighed, and she thinks it’s… relieved?

“I’m… I’m okay.  It’s just the way she looked at you… It scared me, and I just didn’t want to be around her anymore, so… Now I’m here.”

Marinette didn’t respond.

“I can’t believe, even knowing she was a liar… She still had me fooled.  I really thought that if the two of you just didn’t fight for a few weeks, she’d calm down but…”

“Yeah, well, I’m not sure Lila’s the kind of person who lets go of grudges.”

“Right…”  She could make out the faint sound of Adrien letting out a breath.  “Well.  She’ll be back, soon, and… Would you mind staying close to me?  That should help keep her away.”

Marinette froze.

“Of… Of course!” she said, squeaking slightly.  “I mean- Not of course I would mind, I mean of course I _will_ I-  I don’t mind.” And she’d been doing so well with not stammering.  _And she’d been doing so well giving herself space to not get close to people._   Fantastic.  She’d agreed to spend time with Adrien under the worst circumstances, at the worst time.

“Alright then,” said Adrien, audibly standing.  “Now, let’s get to class, before Lila tells everyone I’ve got some awful, incurable disease that only she’s heard of.”

\--

Adrien wasn’t sure whether his plan to not get involved in sticky emotional situations could have gone much worse.  First Marinette’s warmth, so pleasant, and so _terrifying,_ and then Lila’s cold hatred, and now…

And now the only person available to help keep Lila away was the only other person he was scared to touch.

_Of course…  Well, if he had to choose between the two of them, Marinette was the one he’d, prefer, to…_

_He mentally cleared his throat._

_Anyway._

All debates on who he’d prefer to… Who he’d prefer physical contact with, aside, the point was that even before this new development, he’d have preferred spending time with Marinette.

And now, she could keep Lila away from him, and he could keep Lila away from her.  With any luck, she’d be too scared to talk to the only two people who knew about her lies simultaneously, and then he could maybe work with Marinette to find some way to… To _what,_ reveal her secrets?  Fight back?

Yes.  Of course fight back, because…

Because anyone who looked at Marinette with that kind of hatred in their heart needed to be stopped.

New powers, a revelation, a new goal, and…

And he _still_ hadn’t talked to Ladybug.

Life was just a buffet of things to do today, wasn’t it…

At this point, he almost _hoped_ Hawkmoth sent a villain, just so that he could laugh at the absurdity of it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually a milder version of this chapter than the first one I wrote, if you'll believe it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Although Adrien is worried, he and Marinette still try to keep each other safe.  
> All seems to be going well, until they come up against one major hurdle...  
> Marinette will have to try to keep herself under control.

The day passed slowly, in a manner akin to a painful, nerve-wracking dance.

Stay close to Marinette, but not too close; Chat lightly with her so it didn’t look forced, which was a tricky request, considering that she had that same persistent stammer that…

He couldn’t unsee, or, unfeel, what had happened.  Every word she stumbled over was a reminder of the nerves she’d felt, and by extension…

He didn’t know whether he’d even _want_ to remember what he’d felt, if he had the chance to forget.  Every time he thought about it, he wanted to cry, to take hold of Marinette, and not let go, except… Well, it wasn’t like he’d uncover anything worse than he already had, but more to the point, if that was how she felt… Well, it was how she felt.  He’d be complicit in her situation, which was the last thing he wanted to do to her.

And he couldn’t do that, and that meant he couldn’t afford to hug her, which had rarely been a major concern for him, before, but… It _was,_ now.

Worse still, he couldn’t even afford to lay a hand on her, either _,_ because if the impulse was this strong after only a few seconds, he was almost terrified to wonder how strong it could become.

In a way, that was his greatest fear, even if Marinette was the gentlest form it could take; He didn’t think his touch affected other people, or, at least not in a direct, emotional sense, but being around Marinette had never felt like this before, and now it did.  He didn’t know whether it was coincidence, but until he could ask Plagg if other people’s emotions could affect his own, he should assume that every contact he made risked his identity, in some small way.

Just another reason to avoid Lila, he supposed.  He shuddered to think what might happen if he was… _Steeped_ in that kind of anger for too long.

And speaking of Lila, that was the other thing that he had to worry about.

Across the next couple classes, they managed to avoid any contact with Lila.  Everything was going well, until…

\--

P.E.  Of course.

It had always been one of Marinette’s worst subjects, and today, of all days, she’d been dreading it.

She was physically overcompensating for everything, now, and she still hadn’t nailed down where her strength ended.  For all she knew, she was as strong now as she had been when she was transformed before!  If she had to do a long jump, how far would it go?  Should she be holding back?  As Ladybug, she could… She _had_ been able to leap inhuman distances, but _now…_ who even knew?  Maybe Ladybug would just be unstoppable, and out of control and-

But she was getting distracted.

She let out a slow breath, and let out a silent plea that today at least would be something… Quiet?  Something that didn’t rely too much on precision, and-

Dodgeball.

It was dodgeball.

Of _course_ it was.  What _else_ would it have been, but the _exact_ combination of traits she didn’t want?  Reliant on precision? Check.  Good to be agile?  Check.  Meant people would be watching her?  Check.  A bad game to have uncontrollable strength?  Check, check, _check._

The worst part was, she could normally at least give it a shot.  She was quick on her feet, when she wasn’t tripping.  Her throws were weak, but her aim wasn’t all that bad.  People _knew_ that, which meant if she just _gave up_ , people would ask about it, and frankly, she didn’t want to explain.

So… She’d have to… Not accidentally hurl herself into a wall, not send a ball flying into the stratosphere, and _especially_ not into someone’s face, not make it obvious that she’d prefer to be out of the game, and…

Frankly, having fun wasn’t even on the list at this point.

Now… If the teams ended up stacked in one side’s favor, maybe it would be too one-sided to…

The teams had been pre-generated, which was frankly two losses in one; More time she had to play, and less chance to sway things into something favorable.

_Team 1:_

  1. _Agreste, A. Cesaire, J. Couffaine, M. Haprèle, L. Kim, N. Lahiffe, R. Lavillant, L. Rossi_



_Blue:_

  1. _Bourgeois, I. Bruel, M. Dupain-Cheng, M. Kanté, A. Kubdel, N. Kurtzberg, S. Raincomprix_



She swore, internally.  Lila was on Adrien’s team, and…  _She_ wasn’t.

At least let Alix and Kim be on the same side, vying for the high-score for knockouts, and-

Nope.  Alix was on her team, and Kim was against her.

Along with… Alya and Nino.

Well, maybe Alix would get knocked out early, and they’d lose their strongest player, and…  But between Alix and Kim, Alix tended to survive a bit longer…

She walked, a little disgruntled, to her side of the field, and was immediately confronted by the fact that…

Chloe was visibly annoyed to be on the same side as her, and _not_ the same side as Adrien, but that could just as easily have been annoyance at the fact that she was stuck playing a team sport.

_Well too bad, Chloe.  Marinette didn’t want to be here either, yet here she was._

5, maybe 10 minutes to stretch, warm up, and…

_Game 1:_

_Marinette almost botched it immediately; an early dash for the middle would have left her bouncing across the floor from the shear force she’d inadvertently used, had she not caught herself.  Even so, it left her open, and she was out almost immediately.  Alix used all of a half-second to ask her what had happened, but that was all the time Kim needed to nail her, laughing triumphantly._

_With two of their central players down, the team fell apart pretty quickly, barely managing to hit Mylene and Rose.  Finally, Alya managed to land a hit on Nathaniel, who had been staying in the back, to end the game.  Thankfully, Adrien stayed in the whole time, meaning he had an excuse to avoid talking to Lila._

_Game 2:_

_Trying to be a bit more careful this time, Marinette stayed back, focusing more on going unnoticed.  Sure enough, she survived much longer, but without any particular intent to throw the ball, she was of no use to her team.  That was probably part of the reason why in mere minutes, she was the only person standing, along with, of all people, Sabrina._

_And then a shot lined up perfectly, and as Sabrina dodged, Marinette took the hit…_

She sat down on the side, and checked the opposing line.

Her heart sank; Lila had apparently gotten out just after Marinette had, and she was slowly and inevitably approaching Adrien.

At least Sabrina should go down quickly enough, granted that she was outnumbered and-

“ _Hey, Marinette!_ ” said Alix, and she looked over.  “Are you just giving up out there?  Because I’m not sure we’ve got the numbers to spare.”

She blinked.

 _Right.  You were supposed to try to_ win _.  She’d… Almost forgotten about that, in her effort to not be noticed._

Alix looked around, a little conspiratorially, and crouched down next to her.

“Is it because you’re up against Adrien?  Bit skittish about hitting him?”

“Wh-

“I mean… I don’t remember you ever going up against him before, so I mean…”  She chuckled at Marinette’s expression.  “Alright, alright, I’ll shut up about it.  Just remember,” a ball rolled over, and she picked it up, “there’s more than one way to take a boy’s breath away.”

 _“Alix!”_  

“Alright, seriously, last joke about it.  We need you in there, though, if we’re going to have any chance of-

A cheer went up.

They looked over, and-

Nino had his hands up in surrender, as Sabrina stood, wide-eyed and panting furiously across from him.

“Oh,” said Alix, “Well that’s new.”  She nudged Marinette, as they stood up, “we still need you, though.”

Marinette nodded, swearing internally, as she saw Adrien pulling rapidly away from Lila.  There didn’t seem to be anything she could do.

_Game 3:_

_After the 1-3 upset she’d pulled, Sabrina was rapidly focused down.  Marinette, meanwhile, was trying to figure out how to calibrate a shot that wouldn’t go wildly out of control.  Chloe and Max went down in the meantime, as well as a few people on the opposing team._

_Her chance to contemplate things was cut short as Alya, seemingly spotting weakness, leveled a shot at her._

_Marinette dove to the side, and, coming up, threw on instinct._

_To her surprise, the ball went on target, and to everyone else’s, it practically sizzled through the air,_ slamming _into Alya’s stomach._

_She bent double, giving Marinette a look that was equal parts disbelieving and impressed as she left the court.  Marinette could only grimace apologetically in response, and be promptly eliminated by Kim, who had been unaffected by the momentary, surprised lull in the action._

_The game ended quickly enough after that, a second loss, which, thankfully, didn’t involve Lila getting anywhere near Adrien._

_Game 4:_

_Alix managed to take out Kim with her first shot, and Nino and Mylene went down quickly enough, even as Ivan and Nathaniel did.  With Kim out of the way, it should have been easy.  Maybe that was the problem, because Sabrina and Max went down next, maybe baited into a false sense of security by their apparent lead.  Chloe managed to hit Alya, and Juleka, distracted by a truly pitiful throw from Marinette, took a ball from Alix._

_And then, of all people, Rose managed a toss that Alix didn’t see out of her peripherals in time.  She was rapidly nailed by Chloe, who was in turn eliminated by Adrien._

Marinette’s heart sank, as…  No.  Wait.

This would be the last game, wouldn’t it?

That meant she just had to _lose,_ and…

And what?  Alix would wonder about it if she just gave up.  Worse, she could guarantee that Lila would take the opportunity to force Adrien into a triumphant parade.

She jumped to the left, as Adrien tossed an unimpressive shot her way.  Purposefully unimpressive, if she had to guess.

She had to split them up.

She _had_ to.

No nearby balls, and-

She jumped, narrowly avoiding a throw from Lila.

Left, left, _right,_ left again, and she had a ball.

She faintly recognized cheers from behind her, as-

She barely had time to recognize two balls coming for her simultaneously, as-

She dove, without the slightest clue whether she was avoiding anything, and…

Came up, apparently unscathed, and without hesitation, flung her ball at her two enemies.

She saw Adrien’s eyes widen as the ball slammed into his chest with a resounding thud.

And then…

Of course.

Of _course._

The exact person she was trying to fly under the radar of, at least for now, and…

Lila’s expression was light and easy, but Marinette would swear she could make out a gleam in her eye.

One more.  She just had to do it one more time, and this nightmare of a class would be over.  Or at least lose convincingly.

Just lose, and…

_To Lila?_

No.

She jumped away as Lila sent another shot past her.

One more.

Silently, she cursed lack of control, as she almost slipped and fell.

The ball narrowly missed her calves, as she managed pick one of her own up on the way past.

Double back, jump over the one more shot that Lila had aimed for her legs, wind up and…

Lila’s expression shifted, she flinched away, arms coming up, and with all the subtlety of a bodyguard tackling the president, Marinette’s mind froze her arm in place.

One bad hit on Lila, and she’d make something up about how she’d sprained her appendix, and Marinette would have to apologize, and-

Lila’s head turned back as the strike she’d clearly been expecting didn’t arrive.

Well, if she couldn’t take her out with a ball to the head…

The ball bounced gently off Lila’s hip.

There was a round of laughter.

Marinette couldn’t keep the smile off her face, but…

It faded as she caught a glimpse of Lila’s expression.

Because they were laughing _at_ her.

She had no possible way to say she’d been injured.  She had no victory.

She had nothing, except, apparently, her anger.

Marinette decided not to push her luck by trying to shake her hand.

She stepped back, and let the smile back onto her face as her team came to meet her.

\--

She didn’t know where Marinette had learned to throw like that.  She didn’t know how she’d misjudged Marinette’s restraint. She didn’t care that her team had congratulated her on her attempt.

All she knew was that Marinette should have given up.  She should have missed the shot on purpose.  She should have _known_ that the ice under her feet had already been cracking, especially after she’d started trying to monopolize Adrien.

And _Adrien_ should have known not brush her off after school, spouting some drivel about a piano practice he ‘had to do.’

As if she was less important.

But no.  They’d _both_ just have to learn the hard way that there was more than one way to push someone too far.

The only questions were how, and… when.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're just lucky that Marinette only drew Lila's attention in full this late in the day.  
> Originally, the previous chapter saw her do it by trying to stop Lila from following Adrien. This...  
> This gives them a little more time.
> 
> (In other news, I'm continually baffled by how much attention my stories get. I'll think I've got a plateau on something, and then I'll be two chapters into a new story, and it's already topped it.)
> 
> And for those of you wondering where Empathic Adrien is... He'll be back in the POV next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien has a mild crisis, and then goes to talk to Ladybug.  
> And what he finds there... Well, what did he expect?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took some elbow grease, but it is completed.

As the window closed in Lila’s face, Adrien’s apologetic expression turned to one of pure relief.

He looked forward again, and saw his driver giving him a quizzical look.  Then, without a word (well, without a word wasn’t exactly a surprise) they were leaving.

It wasn’t until they were well out of sight that he could start thinking ahead, but when he did…

He _needed_ to talk to Ladybug, that much was clear.  Beyond that, though, everything was blank.  Blank, because for maybe the second time since he’d met her, something was making him reconsider his crush on Ladybug.

Besides that, he needed to ask Plagg, needed to be certain that the feeling in his stomach when he thought of Marinette wasn’t a fabrication, or some magical effect of touching her, because, if it was…

His heart sank further.  If it was, how could he ever know for certain that his feelings were real, and not some mirrored delusion?  And then, what if it wasn’t!?  Would that really be… Any better?

Plagg had said he’d have fun with this, but Adrien was beginning to doubt it.

What he _wanted_ to do was ask Plagg, but… He’d have to wait if he wanted to do that.  He wanted to talk to Ladybug, but he’d have to meet her in costume, and he couldn’t transform right now, either.

Yet another part of him wanted to just go, visit Marinette, and let the beat of her heart drown everything else out.

_Let the beat of her heart drown everything out?  Really, Agreste?_

He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Plagg first.  It had to be.

The good news was, of course, that there was nothing stopping him from just… Doing a bit of finagling with his piano practice.  After all, it wasn’t like anyone was going to randomly come and check on him.

With that thought in his mind, he just, had, to…

…

Wait.

A few minutes of scales to make sure Nathalie had time to walk away, and…

He queued up a recording of one of the pieces he was supposed to be working on, and set it playing.

He stood up.

“Plagg?  We need to talk.”

Plagg floated into sight.

“Yeah… Figured you’d want to.  Alright, what’s the problem?”

“It’s… About Marinette.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

He sighed.  “I guess you already knew she liked me, huh?”

Plagg… Didn’t answer.

“Well…  It’s actually, also about my new powers.”

“Not surprised.”

“I…” he almost didn’t want to say it out loud.  “I was wondering…  After… After what happened with Marinette, and she, ran into me…”  He closed his eyes, and took a breath.  “It feels like I like her back.”

There was a long silence.  “And I’m supposed to…?”

“I-  I don’t know.  I just need to know if I feel like that because she feels like that, like, something about my new powers makes what other people feel stick with me, or if…   If that’s just… Me.”

“Just you.  I mean, obviously you wouldn’t be feeling this if you hadn’t touched her, but it’s not, like, _magical._ ”

“So…  So I do, actually… Like her.”

Plagg shrugged.  “Maybe.  Or maybe you’re just a stupid _romantic_ , who’s overly excited that someone likes him.”

Adrien stopped.

He looked at Plagg.

Plagg shrugged.

Adrien sighed.

“I dunno, that’s not exactly, my _thing._ ”

Adrien stared blankly at his kwami.

The music from the top of the piano seemed a strange backdrop to the peculiar dissatisfaction that was sinking into his stomach.

Sure, there wasn’t anything magical about what he was feeling, but… Plagg had a point.

Maybe what he felt for Marinette was a fabrication of his mind.

The void in his stomach sank a bit deeper.

_What if his feelings for Ladybug were just desperation, too?_

What if-

He let out the low moan that would have been more at home in the mouth of someone turning over in their sleep.

“Plaaagg?” he said.

Plagg gave him a _look._

“Plagg, you’re giving me an existential crisis.”

If Plagg had had eyebrows, he would have raised them.

“Oh!  Well that’s nice.”

“ _It’s not nice, Plagg.”_

“Well, it’s refreshing.”

“Do I even really like Ladybug?  Or is it… Is it just that she was one of the first people I met?  What if Ladybug had been someone else?  How bad would she have had to be before I wouldn’t have fallen in love with her?”

“I dunno, not my business.”

“ _Plagg…”_   His tone was almost pleading.

“What?  You really want _my_ advice?  It’s been millennia since I’ve been young enough to have any idea what you’re feeling.  _I_ just eat cheese, and watch things disintegrate, and I’m happy.  You humans are weird, with your whole… Picking people, thing.  I don’t know, maybe you’re just easy to please, but you didn’t fall in love with anyone _else_ that whole time.”

“Yeah, and all it took was Marinette… Well, not _telling_ me, but… It’s _like_ she told me, without knowing it.”

“Mm.”

“What if it had been someone else!?  Would I be feeling like this about _them_ now?”

“I seriously don’t understand why you’re asking _me_ this question.”

“Because how am _I_ supposed to…”  He trailed off.  What if… What if someone had _told_ him that Marinette felt like that about him, yesterday?

Well, for a start, he’d have laughed them off.

What if… Marinette herself had told him?  He tried, for a second, to forget what he now knew.

If she’d come up to him, told him to his face, and left before he’d had a chance to think on it…

He’d have been flattered, of course.  After all, it wasn’t everyday someone as great as Marinette told you…  Of course, what did that even tell him?  Of _course_ he’d be flattered.  It was _Marinette_ for crying out loud, _anybody_ would be flattered!

Or…  Would they?

His mind seemed to twist, under the almost paradoxical question.  Would he be flattered, and, presumably, feel like this, because Marinette was great, and anybody would be lucky to have her, or did he think anybody would be lucky to have her because, on some level, he’d already felt like this?

Surely it wasn’t normal to look at someone, and write off liking them because it was too _obvious._

And Ladybug…

Well, of course, she could easily have been a celebrity crush, but it wasn’t like that.  He _knew_ her, _personally_.  And it felt like he fell in love with her a bit more every time he saw her.  That didn’t, _sound_ like he was just fooling himself.

So… What.  He had a crush on _two_ people, now? At the _same time?_

That was… Allowed? 

Apparently.

He sighed.

Well.

No matter what, he still had to talk to Ladybug.

And to get there, he needed to finish his piano lesson, to get the eyes of the world, or, Nathalie, at least, off him.

He walked back to the piano, and…

He blinked.  His phone, plugged into the player, had a notification on it.  Looking behind him, he sat down, and retrieved it.

For a second, his heart felt strange; It was a message from _Marinette_.

He took a breath, and opened the message.

He let the breath out, because… Had he really been expecting some declaration?  No.

_“We need to deal with Lila.  I’ll be busy for a while, but hopefully I can text you at 6.”_

_~~“It’s a date.”~~ _

_“Sounds good to me.”_

He sighed.

He really didn’t like the idea of making Lila angrier than she already was, but they had to do _something,_ didn’t they?  If they just left her to her devices, maybe she wouldn’t turn into a supervillain (not to say she didn’t have a surprisingly itchy trigger-finger for it, so to speak) but…  She was malicious, and altogether too powerful; too many people trusted her, _listened_ to her.  Even _he_ had misjudged her, and he had _known_ she was a skilled liar.

Well, at least the timing would give him a chance to talk to Ladybug; A chance, because there was no telling whether she’d even be out and about at the same time as him.  Hopefully, he’d have chance to talk to her, and clarify his feelings towards Marinette.  With any luck, it would be easier to talk to her when she _did_ text him.

…

When Ladybug landed on the rooftop, a little unsteadily, he was reclining against the shingles, lounging out as if he was utterly relaxed.

The image was, of course, far from the truth, but he was Chat Noir.  He didn’t get nervous.

Ladybug straightened up, and caught sight of him.

He grinned, another fabrication, and gave her a cheery wave.

“Lovely weather we’re having, isn’t it?”

She gave him an unimpressed look.

He straightened up, and let the grin drop.  “Yeah… What brings you out today?”

She shrugged.  “Probably the same thing as you.”

“The beautiful day?”

She didn’t respond.

He sighed.  “New powers?”

She still didn’t say anything, but from the shift in her posture, he knew he’d hit the number.

“Yeah… Me too.”

She sighed, looking at him.  “More trouble than they’re worth?”

He shrugged.  “Maybe?  What did you get?”

She scoffed.  “Strength.”

“Oh.  Well that actually doesn’t sound _too_ bad.”

“Yeah, well, you’re not me!  I can barely walk without tripping over my own… Well, maybe that’s uncharitable, but I’m not exactly _graceful,_ at the best of times, and now it feels like I’m kind of out of control, even as Ladybug!  The first time I jumped, I completely overshot where I was going, and landed on _the_ _next roof.”_

He laughed.  “Well.  I’m sure that’ll get better with time, right?  I mean, if I recall correctly, you didn’t exactly know what you were doing the _first_ time we met.  I bet once you get used to it, you’ll be even… Well, stronger is the wrong word, but _better_.”

“Yeah… Maybe.  But what about you?  You said you’d gotten a new power of your own?”

He sucked in a breath, and let it out.

“Yeah…  Yeah I did.”

She looked a little concerned.  “You okay there, Kitty?  Nothing went _too_ wrong, right?”

“No!  No, I just… It’s a weird one, and it’s got all this… Thinking you have to do.”

“Thinking isn’t your strong suit?”

“I mean… Not as much as yours.”

“Well?  What is it?”

“I can feel people’s emotions.”

She blinked.  “You can _what?_ ”

“When I touch people,” he said, “I can feel whatever they’re feeling.”

“That’s…  You’re…  Are you serious?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?  If you want, I can prove it.”

“I-  Yeah, sure, go ahead,” she said, shaking her head as if somewhere between confusion and disbelief.

“Well,” he said, stepping up.

“Oh.  Right.  When you touch them, and… There’s nobody else around.”

“Yeah, it’s- If you don’t want to, I can-

“No, no, it’s fine, I don’t really have anything to hide.  At least, not right now.”

He nodded, and reached out.

She closed her eyes, and he pressed his thumb against her forehead.

//

_Ladybug is calm, and collected.  There’s the disbelief and confusion there, mild, but present.  Beyond that, she seems at ease, which, he has to say, is flattering, given that he has his hand on her forehead, and could technically disintegrate her at will.  No fear at all._

_Ah, but he’s off course, is he.  He pulls himself back, and tries…_

_The mind behind the emotions, is…  Familiar?  He can see it clearly, as if looking at the bottom of a pool, when the water is clear, and still.  Too still, in fact.  He tries to find emotion, and just finds himself running into… What she is behind her emotions, he supposes._

_“You’re…  Well, not feeling anything in particular.  I’m not sure what you expect me to tell you if there’s nothing to sense.”_

_“Well,” she says, “I can’t exactly, just,_ change _my mood.”_

_“Mm…” he says.  “Well, I could try.”_

_She laughs, and he wishes she hadn’t, so he could have known she was amused without it having been obvious._

_“Uh… Oh, what’s a good one…  Well, the weather’s nice, but every day beautiful when you’re around.”_

_The response is… Almost nonexistent._

_“Really doesn’t land, huh?  Probably works better if it’s spur of the moment.”_

_“I mean, the fact you’re not insisting it_ did _‘land’ is pretty weird, for you.”_

_He sighs, and lets go._

_//_

“Yeah…  I mean, it’s kind of a paradox, right?  If you’re experiencing strong emotion, either you’re trying to hide it, or you’re not, and either way, I’m not sure it’d do much good to go feeling around for it.”

She laughed.  “Yeah…  I do believe you, for what it’s worth.  It’s just, kind of strange.”

He sat down.  “Right.  Right.”

_And what had he gained from this?  She wasn’t secretly in love with him, which honestly… didn’t surprise him.  Then again… If nothing else, there hadn’t been any annoyance, or mistrust, or doubt…  Really,  Things could have been so much worse._

She sat down next to him, and for a while, nobody moved.

“I’ve still got a while before I need to be anywhere,” he said.

“Yeah.  Same here.  And then…”  she sighed, “There’s some stuff I need to handle.”

They stared out across the city, the sun still shining down.

It was a beautiful day.

“So… how far do you think you could throw me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn't expect this chapter to go quite like this, but I'm happy with it. (I think Ladynoir is the trickiest side of the square for me to write)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette get to work on a plan, and are subsequently harangued by their best friends about their date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I initially planned to skip over the planning phase, so it would be a secret to the reader, but the pacing didn't work that way, so into the chapter it goes!

Adrien slumped comfortably in his chair.

The time was 6:05, and he had to admit that even considering what he was about to have to deal with, there was something relaxing about being flung between rooftops like a sack of potatoes.

He’d certainly gotten plenty of chances; he’d have hesitated to ask her to do it after the first few times, were it not for the fact that every time she’d picked him up, it had been pretty clear that she was enjoying herself about as much as he was.

He picked up his phone.

To his surprise, Marinette hadn’t actually texted him yet.

Well… Maybe she was waiting on him?

No, she wouldn’t be, but-

_“Marinette?”_

A silence.

_“Sorry!  I got caught up doing something, you know how it is.”_

_“Hah!  Yeah, probably had a project you were working on, right?”_

_“Just about :)”_

_“You mind if I call?”_

_“Go ahead!”_

Better he didn’t leave this in text, where his father might have a chance to read it.  After all, Father seemed to be as fooled by Lila as anyone else.

He dialed.

One ring, two rings…

“Hello?” said Marinette.

He couldn’t help a smile.  “Hey Marinette.”  There was a long silence.  “Well.  I guess you know why I’m calling.  I mean… It was your idea to talk, so of course you do, but…  You know.”

She giggled.  “Yeah.  I know.”  He heard her take a breath on the other end.

“You picked a good time to change your mind.  After that last game of dodgeball, I’m pretty sure she’ll be after me again.”

He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the statement, but… “What do you mean?”

“I… Might just be giving her too much credit, but I think she could have gotten me out.  She wanted me to hit her.  _Hard.”_

“But…”  He ran through the thought again.  _What would she stand to gain by-_ “So she could blame you?”

“I think so.  When Lila’s around, everybody’s always on the verge of serious injury.  You remember what happened with Max?  Almost losing his eye?”

He remembered the incident, and… “I guess… Yeah, that was strange, now that I think about it.”

“I swear, there’s no way she should have any kind of magical powers, but I have no idea how else people would believe her lies!  They’re just… Ridiculous, half the time.”

“Yeah… That’s part of what worries me about this whole idea,” he said.  “I mean, I know I was the one who brought it up, but… What’s to stop her just… Lying her way out again?”

To his surprise, Marinette laughed softly on the other end.  “I’ve been thinking about that, actually; trying to figure out why she’s been so hard to pin down.”

“And?”

“Well… For one thing, as far as anyone else is concerned, her reputation is flawless.  You’ve heard the stories she tells, all the people she knows; if she’s to be believed, she’s a saint three times over.  The fact that she’s never been caught in a lie means that there’s nothing to make you suspect her, unless you see it for yourself.  And even when you know, there’s no way to tell anyone, because it’s almost never possible to _disprove_ it!”

“Right… Like the tinnitus thing.”

“Exactly.  She’s counting on nobody looking it up, and even if they did, she’d come up with something about how hers is a special case that you can’t find online.”

“So… What?  Does that help us?”

Marinette sighed.  “Well… It means that I’ll be hard-pressed to build any kind of case based on her everyday stuff.  The most I’ll be able to do is make people suspicious, and even then, they’ll probably brush it off.  The only way it would be useful is if they already know she’s a liar, but don’t realize how much of one.”

“Right, but that still doesn’t help us.”

“I know, but… If she’s coming after me, that’s going to be her big mistake.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… You remember Chameleon, right?”

“Of course!  Ah, well, I was asleep in my locker for most of it, but I remember that it happened.”

“Well, after she’d been turned back, she actually talked to me, stopped pretending for a bit.  She threatened me.”

“She…  She _what?_   Like…  Like, she—” he broke off.  “Why didn’t I hear about this?”

“Well… It wasn’t any different from what she’d already promised; you know, ‘ _You’ll never have another friend when I’m done with you, we’re at war,_ ’ that kind of… thing.  I doubt she’s forgotten, but I think she was expecting me to try something first, so she could… Well, retaliate.  As far as _that_ goes, not messing with her has helped, I guess.”

“I… Oh.”  Adrien tapped the fingers of his free hand against his desk.  “Well.  I guess it’s not quite as bad as I _thought._ ”

“No…  And better yet, I think _that’s_ is my opening.  Because, if I say something about her, it’s my word against hers, but if she threatens me outright, and I record it…”

“Then she can’t deny it.”

“Not easily.  And if you’re willing to corroborate…  Of course, we’d need some way to make it clear that it’s not just a matter of you trusting me over her, but I think that could be arranged.”

“Okay,” he said.  “I guess we should get ready, then.”

\--

It was an hour later, the first half of which she spent running through things with Adrien, just to be certain that they didn’t leave things to chance that they didn’t need to, and the second half of which she’d spent pacing back and forth through her room.

She was finally beginning to feel the nervous energy draining away, and, by all rights, she should be starting her homework, but-

Her phone buzzed.

Once, twice, she picked it up.

“Alya,” she said.

Alya laughed on the other end.  “Hey girl!  Just got home.”

Marinette felt her brain stumble, and then remembered where Alya must have been.  “That’s one long dinner, considering you left that early.”

Alya laughed again; she seemed to be in good spirits.  “Oh, trust me, it wasn’t all dinner.  I was _planning_ on dinner, but…”  She took a deep breath.  “Okay. Okay…  So, like I was saying, my plans for the night ended with me taking him to -

_\--_

-one of my favorite restaurants,” said Nino, “and… I mean, she had some stuff arranged for during the meal.  Flowers, a couple other things, because, y’know, this is Alya, and there’s no way she’d leave it at just ‘dinner.’”

“No, you two seem to go a bit more over the top than that,” agreed Adrien.

“But here’s the thing-

\--

-he already knew where we’d be going!  He literally snooped around, asked my mother a few questions, until he was pretty sure where it was.  And he _went_ there, said he was part of the reservation-

“Why did you need a reservation?”

“Well, I figured it’d be fun to pull out a bit of the ‘special treatment,’ just to mess with him.  Y’know, flowers, some new headphones; Anyway, he literally got in there, apparently didn’t check the arrangements I’d made which was honestly more polite than I would have been, and he just… Added one of his own.  Just like that!”

_\--_

“And Alya just… Didn’t mind all the snooping?”

Nino laughed.  “Dude, this is Alya we’re talking about!  She loved it.”

“So, what did you do?”

“Well, it actually took me a while to figure out what to do for the anniversary, but then I realized, if there’s one thing Alya loves, it’s unraveling stuff.”

_\--_

“So, it’s dessert, and everything I’d had planned has already happened, he’s laughing, and I thought he was just, like, confused laughing?  Nope.  They bring out this… Like, just a tiny plate, and it’s got a note on it.”

“Okay?”

“Well, obviously, I read it, and it’s got a riddle on it.”

“A riddle?  Like… Just… A riddle?”

“Yeah.  Just a riddle. I swear to you, he was just staring at me with the most pleased grin I’ve ever seen.”

“Did you solve it?”

Alya laughed, on the other end.  “Of course.  Only took about 10 seconds after reading it.  I’m pretty sure it was a warmup, though.”

“A warmup for what?”

\--

“See, the answer was a place, and I’d hidden another riddle there.  And that one led to the next one.”

“How many were there?”

“Not too many, just, like, seven of them.”

“And this was all across Paris?”

“Yeah, dude!  Just walking back and forth across Paris, or… Well, honestly, she was running for most of it; I was pretty out of breath by the end.”

_\--_

“Sounds like you had fun,” said Marinette.

“Honestly, I have no idea how he came up with them!  He literally had me stumped for, like, five, ten minutes, once or twice.”

“And did all of this _go_ anywhere?”

Alya laughed.  “Yeah.  I figured it was going to be The Pons des Arts bridge, after there was a key with one of the notes, but it actually wasn’t.  There was just a locked box.”

“And I assume he’d put something inside?”

“Umm…” Alya went quiet for a second, and for a second, Marinette wondered if it had been something too personal.  Then, she continued, “Matching necklaces, actually.”

“So, does this mean we’ll get the pleasure of seeing Nino in a necklace?”

Alya snorted.  “Yeah, probably.  I certainly did.”

“So, when you say matching, is it one of those ‘split heart’ necklaces, or…”

“No.  It’s actually a Rena Rouge and Carapace set.”

Marinette froze.  “Oh really?” she said, forcing the cheery tone, “Well, you two honestly match them so well, I’d be surprised if you don’t get people asking if you’re the real ones!”

Alya audibly hesitated, and then laughed, “Yeah, well, I mean, as far as anyone knows, Ladybug and Chat Noir still wear their Miraculouses when they’re detransformed and nobody’s spotted them yet!”  She cleared her throat, “besides, it’s not like either of us, are, them.”

“Well… the two of you better work on your denials, because at this rate, people are going to think you’re just bad liars, but I suppose… Yeah, I guess if I saw a kid that looked like Chat Noir, with a ring on, I’d be more likely to assume that he’s just a fan who happens to look like him.  Or that he’s married.”

“See?  Paris is too big of a city to just assume that someone’s a superhero just by looking at them.”

“Like that time you thought Adrien was Chat Noir.”

Alya sighed.  “I swear, they could be twins.  But yeah, you’re right.”

“And that’s why you always look beyond appearances, because I can’t imagine Adrien doing _half_ the stuff I’ve seen Chat Noir do.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a more... personal look inside Lila's mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, it was deciding to write a chunk of this from Lila's perspective that gave me the inspiration to make it to the end.  
> Additional fun fact, Lila's mind scares me.

When Marinette arrived at school, she half expected people to be whispering about her, or pointing and laughing, or…  Really, anything to imply that Lila had already been at work against her.  Whatever was coming, though… That wasn’t it.  Not yet, anyway.

She was willing to bet that it probably wouldn’t be the shifted seats again; that seemed… a bit obvious at this point, and besides, she’d have to come up with a _new_ justification for why it was _so important_ that she sit up front.

Besides, they’d already established that Adrien would rather sit by her than by Lila, which meant that she’d have a hard time if she tried to isolate him.

Sure enough, when she walked into class, nothing seemed different in the slightest.  For that matter, Nathanael was alone at his desk, which meant Lila hadn’t even arrived, yet.

\--

Marinette’s assessment of the situation was… Mostly accurate.

In fact, the only place she’d made a mistake was in assuming Lila hadn’t arrived, yet.

Lila _had_ arrived.  She just… Hadn’t gone to the classroom.

“Oh, I know,” she said, just loud enough that her voice would carry.

A pause, as if waiting for a response from her phone.  “No, no, Marinette seems nice, but she definitely doesn’t like Chloe.  I heard her talking about how she didn’t understand why Ladybug would ever have let her use the Bee Miraculous.”

She laughed, hearing an audible scoff from the other side of the lockers.  “Well, I wanted to say something, but it obviously wasn’t my business.  No, no, there’s nothing like…  Well, I should probably be getting to class.  Sorry, I’ve got to go~!”

She pretended to hang up, as the door clattered closed behind Chloe.

Well…  That was a start.

The problem, of course, was that she couldn’t make Marinette go after anyone, since Marinette knew too much to listen to her.  Chloe was the easiest to turn against her.

Of course, getting in a fight with Chloe would be a nuisance, but, well, it would probably _increase_ her standing with her peers.  After all, Chloe didn’t really get along with _anyone,_ even _her._   If there was anyone Marinette might get on her side… Well, best she _didn’t_ get anyone on her side.

Still, turning Chloe and Marinette against each other was nothing really new, and it wouldn’t really help her.

What _would,_ though, was…

The door rattled open again, and Lila smiled, eyes closed in satisfaction.  She turned.

Sabrina.

Lila had been hoping that her tardiness was just that, tardiness, and not sickness.

Lila paid attention.

She knew that if Chloe had one friend in this world, it was Sabrina.  More to the point, she knew that if they had one positive point in their relationship, at least at school, it was the fact that they met up in the locker room before class.

Usually, this took the form of Sabrina hanging around a little longer, waiting for Chloe to arrive, but…

Lila turned the corner, to the sight of Sabrina walking to her locker, a little uncertainly, probably wondering where Chloe had gone.

Really, when it came down to it, Sabrina was a dog.  Nothing more, nothing less.  At her most basic level, she looked for someone to follow, and then she followed them until she found someone better to follow.  Chloe, for all her weaknesses, had done an excellent job with her, and Lila certainly wouldn’t mind having someone like that working for her.  Lila would have grinned, had her face not been carefully composed into a concerned frown.

“Is something wrong?” she said, as if she didn’t already know.

“Ah- Oh!  Lila! No, um… I’m fine.”

“Oh, that’s good,” she said, sitting down on the bench, opening her bag, “I thought you might be worried about Chloe not being here.”

“Oh, um… I mean… Normally, I meet her here, before homeroom…”

_Yeah.  Obviously.  Why else would she have mentioned it?_

“I see,” said Lila, smiling understandingly.  “I thought I’d noticed you staying in here a bit later some days.”

“Yup, just… Waiting, you know?”

“Hm… I guess that’s what she meant when she said she was sick of waiting, and left.”

“Hah… Yeah, that sounds like Chloe.”

She sighed, sadly.  “You know, it just strikes me as a shame that after all those times you’ve waited for her, she didn’t wait for you.  I mean, if it was me…”  She chuckled.  “Well, but it isn’t me, of course.”

Sabrina glanced over at her, as she dug through her bag, and as she looked briefly up, she knew the implication had landed from the nerves in her eyes.  Lila knew there wasn’t a trace of fear in her eyes, though, and that was important… Part of what Sabrina followed was power.  Someone with a table large enough to leave scraps.

 _Ah, but such a doormat… So worried about switching sides.  Well, Lila could appreciate a bit of that, as long as it was reluctance to leave_ her _side._

But… If she wanted to do this, she couldn’t do it in one shot; well… She _could,_ but Chloe would be more likely to target Sabrina instead of _her_ if it sounded like it had been Sabrina’s idea.

So, for now…

“Do you want to head up?” she said.

Sabrina hesitated, but… What reason could she give for refusing?  Certainly, none that wasn’t too rude for her.

The door opened, and she shut her mouth again.

Adrien’s face was red, and he looked like he’d been running.  He looked back and forth between them.

“Good morning, Sabrina,” he said, “And… Lila.”

Lila wished she could move up her timeframe against Marinette.

_Adrien’s reluctance to talk to her had to be Marinette’s fault.  If she had left well enough alone, maybe Lila would have considered letting her walk away from this, be unobtrusive and never fight back again, but now… It wouldn’t change anything, of course; even Adrien had the instinct to avoid people nobody else liked, and Marinette… Give it time.  And once it was just the two of them, she’d have him laughing at the idea that Marinette had ever had a good idea in her life in a week or two.  A month, tops._

_But for now…_

He barely even looked at her, pulling out his own bag, taking almost the exact spot that she’d just left.

“Well,” he said, “This is a relief, at least.”

“A… Relief?” said Sabrina.

He laughed.  “Well, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you be late, so if we’re here at the same time, I can’t be doing _too_ badly.”

“Ah, well, my father drives me,” said Sabrina, now truly unfocused from what Lila had been saying, “and people tend to give him some extra room, even with the lights off.”

“Oh, right!  Because he’s a policeman.  You really get to ride in a police car every day?”  He managed a turnaround time at his locker that was almost impressive, and stood up.

“Well… It’s not really that exciting,” she said, blushing, more at having been complimented than out of anything romantic, if Lila had to guess.  “I mean, _you’re_ the one with the personal driver.”

Adrien scoffs, and starts for the door.  “Trust me, _that’s_ got to be even less exciting.”  Sabrina practically bounces after him, and Lila realizes that she’s just standing there, doing nothing, and… She’s _going_ to be late for class, at this rate.

She wants to swear, but only at the coincidence.  Not at Adrien… No… Adrien…

Adrien did that accidentally, she’s sure of it.  Even on the off-chance he picked up that she was trying something, and the even more remote chance he would even _think_ of acting against her, he couldn’t lie to save his life.  The thought of him coming up with a line of conversation to draw her away, and carrying it smoothly, without even looking at her?  It was too much to attribute to him.

She’d have to remove that impulse from him at some point.

Later, though.

In the meantime… Marinette was a tough target.  People trusted her, and that meant that except for Chloe, it was going to be difficult to turn them against her directly.

There were…  A few ways to do that.  The first, of course, was to draw Marinette into trying to disprove her, and sap her credibility by proving her wrong, over and over.  That was… Tricky.  If Marinette managed to stick one of her accusations, then Lila would lose her sheen of untouchable perfection.  That alone was a good reason to avoid it.  And… Of course, it would take so _long._

Maybe she could have done that, but Marinette had managed to press Adrien into working with her.  Frankly, it was an insult to see him turned against her, and having to watch it for the _months_ it could take to bring Marinette down wasn’t an option.

The second thing… She could sow rumors about Marinette, leave people uncertain about her.  It would weaken her position, at least, and Lila could find an opening for it.  If nothing else, it would stress her, maybe make her slip up.  But… Again, it would take so long, and if anyone found out the rumors were coming from _her?_   It was a risk.  Worse, Adrien had unwittingly set her back on that idea (who knew when Sabrina would arrive after Chloe again) by… Weeks?  Maybe a month or two.  A month or two that Lila didn’t want to spend waiting.

Of course, the _best_ thing would have been if Marinette hadn’t caught herself, and had… Thrown the ball at full force.

A cracked rib, maybe, or a bruised lung, or, better still, _both,_ and Marinette’s reputation would drop _instantly._   Unfortunately, she was still just a _little_ too clever for that.

Too clever by half, frankly.

She didn’t even register the fear before dismissing it.  She had nothing to be afraid of.  Marinette was the one who should be afraid.

Because…

Well.

Suffice to say Lila was weighing an option in her mind.

It wasn’t her idea of fun, but then… disposing of Marinette _would_ be fun, regardless of what it took.

At her desk, where she’d long since arrived, Lila cheerily thoughtful expression shifted to a smile.

 --

Adrien… Hadn’t _exactly_ thought that Lila was planning something with Sabrina, but…  Well, if he’d been alone in a room with her, he’d have been overjoyed if someone had shown up and gotten him away from her.

Of course, it had felt awkward walking into a room where Marinette and Chloe were in the middle of an intense showdown, when he’d been working with Marinette, and had Chloe’s best friend beside him, but… well, whatever Marinette had hissed at Chloe, it had made her sort of… hesitate, blink, and then, with all the grace of an annoyed t-rex, huff, and go sit down.

Marinette had just shaken her head, taken a breath, and straightened up.

He’d nodded at Marinette, and taken his seat.

Hmm…

Now…

He tapped a finger against his desk, and remembered…

He’d bumped his fist lightly against her shoulder, part of a remark about how at least _she_ didn’t get her car stuck at green lights because the turn was too tight to take without a bit more time than the other cars on the road would have been willing to give them.

He’d gotten a sense of amusement that made sense with her stifled laughter, but also… // _Underneath, there’s worry, a gnawing anxiety, and fear, uncertainty.  Maybe it’s just how Sabrina always feels, but, maybe not…_ //  Maybe something about what she and Lila had been talking about had been… What?

He didn’t know.

That was the problem.  Even with such direct knowledge of what other people were feeling, he couldn’t be sure he really _knew_ anything.

Except… Well… He didn’t think even _he_ could wiggle out of what he’d experienced from Marinette.

Class was beginning, though, and even with everything going on, he wouldn’t even get the chance to be _in_ school if he didn’t keep his grades up.

Alright, time to focus, and get to-

Work?

He looked down at his phone.

_“After class.”_

He looked behind him.

Marinette nodded.

A few seconds passed, and, another message.

_“I think I figured out the last piece we need.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lila seems to have a plan, but so does Marinette.  
> And now...  
> Well, you'll just have to wait, and see.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has a plan, and she just needs a bit of time.  
> Lila has a plan, and she doesn't intend to give Marinette even a second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing this chapter, and I just couldn't stop writing. Hopefully you find it compelling.

As Marinette leaned back in her chair, she couldn’t help a smile.  It was… Simple, really.

All she’d had to do was _listen,_ and, to _Nino_ of all people.  If she’d had to guess who would give her the inspiration… Well, she wasn’t complaining.

And as for putting her plan into practice… Well, it wouldn’t be hard.  After all, late last night, as she’d been mulling things over in bed, she’d realized something important, which was… Lila was powerless.

All she needed was a little time.

\--

It was lunch, and by now, Adrien knew the plan.  It was… Terrifying, to say the least, but… If it worked…

He didn’t think he’d been able to eat anything right now.

\--

Though her expression was neutral, Lila was fuming.

It was bad enough that Marinette thought she could stand against her, but since this morning, she seemed almost… Blasé about it.  _Condescending._

She was _plotting_ something.  Of _course_ she was.  Marinette, for all the curses Lila would have gladly inflicted on her, was tenacious, and resourceful, and above all, _driven._   What she _really_ needed, if she was honest, was an opening.  Just… One opening.

So, when she’d heard Adrien explaining to his friends that Marinette wouldn’t be joining them for a while, because she was in the downstairs bathroom, something about having something personal to do…

Well, there were two things to realize.  The first, of course, was that Marinette _had_ to be working on whatever plan had her so _confident._

The second, and more… Salient point, was that _that_ bathroom, during lunch, the _very place_ Marinette had chosen for its seclusion, was the perfect place to… Well, put Lila’s _own_ plan into action.

She smiled, letting just a little of the _bite_ in her mind show on her face.

Her hand tapped idly at her pocket, where she was keeping something… Useful.

…

As she walked in, Marinette inhaled sharply, and put her phone away.  Maybe, after everything was done, Lila would check what _exactly_ she’d been planning.  But for now…

“Hi, Lila.”

“Hello Marinette,” she said, smiling.

There was an instant of silence.  She glanced at the stalls.  They were all open.  The room was deserted, but for the two of them.

Perfect.

“Back in the same bathroom,” said Marinette, “and I imagine you’ve come to threaten me.”

“Mmm…  Something like that,” said Lila, smiling.

“But I can’t help but notice, you still haven’t made good on your plans to leave me alone and friendless.”

Lila shrugged.  “It’s on my schedule.  Actually, it’s… penciled in for today.”

“Oh, I see,” said Marinette.  “And… You expect me to believe you even _can?_ See, that’s the bit I don’t get.”

“Oh really,” said Lila, growing rapidly more insulted by the audible confidence in Marinette’s voice.

“Really.  Everyone here knows me.  Maybe they won’t easily believe you’re a liar, but they already know that _I’m_ not.  The worst they could assume is that I’m confused.  That’s the problem with lying.  It only takes one slip-up.”

She laughed.  “But Marinette, I don’t slip.”

Marinette laughed back.  “Really?  You’ve slipped up plenty.  You switched which side your tinnitus was on.  You were grasping at _straws_ to make me the villain for throwing a napkin, and the part where you didn’t even check _where_ Prince Ali was before saying you were at his palace?”

“Are you offering critiques, Marinette?”

“No.  I’m just reminding you how close some of your lies have come to unmasking you.”

“And do you know why they haven’t?”

Marinette’s head tilted, her expression still guarded, but clearly interested.

“Well… I’ll tell you.  And… Consider it a parting gift.  I told you that I tell people what they want to hear.  As long as I’m around, they get to live their dreams.  Alya gets the interview of a lifetime for the Ladyblog, Nino gets a contact in the music industry, and… Well, soon enough, Sabrina gets a better master, Chloe gets no more of _you,_ and I’ve got more, for the rest of the class.  Did you know that I’ve got a few legislative contacts that I can ask to push for environmental reform?  Mylene and Ivan do, now.  I was trained as an art critic, and the entire art club is hanging on my every, encouraging, word.  Do you get it now?”

She was grinning wide, now.  “Nobody wants to think about whether I’m a liar or not, because if I’m a liar, then all of those lovely dreams _vanish._ ”  She laughed.  “And if they press a bit too hard, well, the congressman didn’t want to listen, and the record label my contact worked for went bankrupt, _oh if only they’d had your music, it would have saved them, Nino…_ ”  She laughed, again.  “And there are only two people that I didn’t get.  Adrien…  Well, if Ladybug hadn’t shown up, he’d _want_ to believe me, too.  And… You, Marinette.”

“Yeah?  What were _you_ going to tempt me with?”

She shrugged.  “I hadn’t decided.  The only thing you wanted was already going to be mine.  And that’s part of the problem, isn’t it?  You _want_ me to be a liar, as much as anything, because if I’m _not,_ then Adrien has no reason not to like me, and where does that leave _you?_ ”  Midway through the sentence, Marinette had gone pale, and Lila couldn’t have been happier about it.  “You would be… Alone, and heartbroken.  When it comes down to it, Adrien is your biggest weakness, for all he’s the reason you won’t believe me.”

Marinette took a deep breath, as if steadying herself, and then…  “So… You’re, what, planning to use Adrien against me?  When he already _knows_ he shouldn’t listen to you?”

Lila laughed.  “Shouldn’t and won’t are two different things, Marinette; you should already know that.  Sure, the fact that he knows would slow me down, but I practically have a standing invitation at his house, and if I tell Adrien you’re not to be trusted often enough, he’ll start to listen, whether he wants to or not.”

She laughed at the way Marinette’s teeth gritted.

“But… That would take too long, and in the meantime, who know what you’d do with the rest of the class.  If anything, I’d save that for later, so that if he ever sees you again, he’ll refuse to talk to you.”

“ _If he ever sees me again?_ ”

“Of course.  And, more to the point, if that _were_ my plan, I wouldn’t tell you until it was already too late.  That’s one of the most important rules, right alongside never telling people who you hate most.”

“All this talk, but you have yet to give me one good reason to think that you’re not just trying to scare me.”

She laughed.  “Oh, Marinette, always so _confident._   Well, it’s like I say, you always wait until it’s too late before you tell someone what your plan is.”

She shrugged, lightly.  “So, for example…” she reached into her pocket, and pulled out a pencil, sharpened to an unnerving point.

Marinette blinked, and then, registering what it was, her eyes widened.  She met Lila’s eyes.  “You’re… Going to try to kill me?”

“Oh… Well, I could, obviously, but, then I’m the girl who killed her classmate.  It doesn’t reflect well on me.  Besides, you probably wouldn’t put up enough of a fight for me to claim self-defense.  Even if you did, it wouldn’t exactly reflect well on me.  No, you’ll be walking away from this, but the next school you set foot in won’t be _this_ one.”

She turned the point backwards, and let the lead lightly tap her left forearm.

“That is… if there’s a school that would take the girl who assaulted her classmate unprovoked.  Like I said, you never let anyone know who you hate.  As far as anyone’s concerned, your hatred of me just makes me sad, and I would _never_ try to _frame_ you for something.”

Marinette exhaled, gently, staring at the pencil.  “Lila, there’s something wrong with you.”

Lila grinned.  “What can I say?  I like winning.  You put up a fight, but… Let me give you a look at the immediate future…  There’s a scream from the bathroom.  I come running out, a few nasty jabs in my forearm.  I was talking to you in the bathroom, and something I said must have made you angry.  Suddenly, you’re rushing forward with a pencil, and I barely escape.  I find a teacher.  ‘Oh, not Marinette!’ everyone says, but… Who else?  They know _I_ wouldn’t do something like this, and everyone knows you didn’t like me. It _must_ have been you.  There’s not much evidence, but it’s enough.  You go to jail, maybe prison, and,” she giggled,  “The most important part is, you never come back to this school again.”

Marinette swallowed.  “Not much evidence is right.  You think they wouldn’t check for fingerprints?  I’ve never touched it.”

Lila scoffed.  “I guess you don’t recognize your own favorite brand of pencil?  And… I know it’s your favorite brand of pencil, because I took this during 3rd period.  Trust me, Marinette, I might let a few _details_ slip on the less important ones, but I came up with _this_ little plan _years_ ago, for…  Well, I suppose you should be honored.  You’re the first person who’s made it worth it.”

“I… Yeah, fine.  I’m honored, I… Guess.  Still, I’d advise you not to do it,” said Marinette.

“And why’s that?”

 _“Press 1 to save message.”_ The voice was small, but it had come from Marinette’s jacket… Where she’d put her phone.

“Because it still wouldn’t work,” said Marinette, pulling the phone from her jacket, “You really should have seen this one coming.”

No.  She’d… Been ready, _already?_   She needed to stop Marinette from- she pressed the button.

She should, what, attack?  Stab _herself,_ like she’d planned?

“Nino had it right, on his anniversary… If you _really_ want to surprise someone, you make their plan part of _your_ plan.  Now.  Put the pencil away.”

She was hyperventilating, her mind wordless, scrambling for something, _anything_ to get her out of this.  Marinette was bluffing.  But why would she fake it if she could do it for real?  Marinette wasn’t bluffing, but…  But…

She could say they’d been practicing.  There was a play they’d wanted to do, and Marinette had set the script up as a false confession and… But, even with everything she was capable of, it was Marinette’s word against hers, and everything she’d said, every little confession, and there was no _script_ to produce.  There was no backup plan.  There was… There was _nothing._

Hands to her face, desperately searching for _something,_ she barely noticed Marinette pass her.  She didn’t even think to stab.  And then she was alone, the bathroom barely a thought.  The world crumbled away around her.

She couldn’t.

She just… Couldn’t.

\--

Even victorious, as she certainly _was,_ Marinette couldn’t be happy.  Of all things, she was _scared._   It had been too _close._   If she _hadn’t_ been ready, Lila would have done it, and the day would have gone so _differently_.

But she hadn’t.  She _hadn’t_.  It hadn’t _happened._

_It hadn’t happened._

Of course, Lila had said enough about Adrien that… He must know, now, but right now, against every instinct she’d had, that didn’t matter right now.

Marinette took a breath, desperately trying to compose herself.  It was _fine._   The message had gone through.  Adrien would have it now, and if it had worked as she’d meant it to…

She walked into the classroom.

Alya and Nino looked up at her, seemingly as worried as she was.

Adrien, behind them, nodded, simply.

“I,” she shrugged.  “I don’t know.  She’s… A liar.”

“I…” said Alya, and swallowed, “I’m sorry.  I should have…”  She groaned.  “I should have _checked,_ or-

“Don’t be sorry.  She knows how to lie.  You heard her, right?  She makes you not _want_ to check.”

She sat down, and practically collapsed into the chair.

“And… That bit at the end,” said Nino.  “She was going to…”

“Stab herself, just to frame me,” said Marinette.

“So…  What now?” said Alya.

“Now… We make sure everyone knows.  It’s not their fault they believed her, but they need to know the truth.  They need to know what she did, what she was planning… _Everything._ ”

“Alright,” said Adrien.  “Then the sooner we get to work, the better.  The less time she has to react, the less chance she finds some way to wriggle out of it.”

“Dude,” said Nino, the most unnerved Marinette had ever seen him, “how is she supposed to get out of it?  There’s nobody in the whole school who wouldn’t believe that.  If they hear that recording, it’s over for her.  She’d have to delete it from Adrien’s phone, and even then, as long as we remembered it, we could probably convince people, if we worked together.”

_Delete the recording.  Make it not have happened.  Make people forget._

Marinette looked up, staring out the window.

Tears welled up in her eyes, not of sadness but…

They were the tears of someone who had, say, found themselves hanging above a pit, from a rope that was fraying to quickly for there to be any chance of escape.

Tears, in short, of fear.

“Oh no.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... Y'all know what's gonna happen.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gets a swift reminder of what the biggest downside of living in Paris is.  
> Chat Noir gets the same reminder, again, and again, and again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boss fight, round one complete. Start round two!

“Marinette?” said Alya.

Marinette was already standing up.

“We need to leave. _Now._   Adrien needs to get that recording shared _everywhere.”_

“Marinette what are you-“  Adrien froze.  He wasn’t looking at her.  He was… Looking behind her, at the door.

She let out a breath, and turned.

Lila looked almost ghostly.  She was… Blurred, soft at the edges.

She’d been turned into a villain.  Of course, What had she been expecting?

Lila had been turned into a villain _twice,_ at _least,_ and the second time, it had been with an Akuma that was _meant_ for Marinette, and only because Adrien had _mentioned_ that he didn’t like her lies.

And now?  Now that she’d been _exposed?_

A ghostly figure, with a pencil in her hand.

“I see you’re resorting to violence, Lila,” said Marinette.

“Mm… You might as well call me Eraser.”

Eraser.  No surprise there, considering her weapon of choice, grievance, appearance… All of it, really.

Marinette’s brain fizzed.  The targets were...  Her, of course, and Adrien, because he had the phone.  Alya and Nino were far behind.

“Now,” said Eraser, twirling the pencil in her hand, “what do I destroy first… Your body, or your mind?”

“Get out of here,” she muttered, tilting her head so she could see behind her.  Maybe they needed Ladybug, but having fought so many of Hawkmoth’s villains, she was perfectly aware that her newfound raw strength was the only thing that would give her even a _chance._

“Marinette,” said Alya, but-

“No.  Out.  Now.  She’s after me, more than anyone else, and I’m not letting any of you get caught in this.  And keep that phone safe, or we’ll find out _exactly_ what she can do with it.”

“I think…” said Eraser, apparently having spent a few seconds mulling the question over, “I’ll take a stab at _body_ , first.”

She stepped forward, steps rapidly picking up speed, and Marinette was out of other options.

Maybe Lila hadn’t expected to need to bring the point down so rapidly, believing that Marinette would cower in fear.  Whatever the case, Marinette’s shoulder and elbow connected with her chest and stomach in unison, and with a _slam,_ she fell back, the tip of the pencil only nicking Marinette’s arm as she fell away.

Even as she hit the ground, though, she was scrabbling for purchase, seemingly more enraged than anything, barely even bothering to get herself upright.

Marinette, already staggering from the force she’d managed, could only take a few steps back, before Eraser was on her.  _‘Eraser,’_ as if Lila hadn’t known exactly what she was doing.  Frankly Marinette would have bet that she was as conscious as ever.

There was a gash on her thigh, as Lila clawed her way up, and then barely a flash of a moment where she saw the pencil coming down.

Marinette grabbed, and by sheer luck, caught her wrist.

She flinched back, as Lila’s other hand came down, and clawed at her face.  But for whatever else Hawkmoth had given her, the gash was just the ordinary pain of long nails, and in a second, Marinette had grabbed _that_ wrist, too.

Marinette, never the best balanced, had fallen from the force of the lunge, and found herself on her back, holding onto Lila’s wrists for dear life.

They struggled there, for a second, but Marinette couldn’t help a brief, fierce joy at the sight of her friends bolting for the exit.  They at least would be fine.

And as for her.

For a second, she thought they were at a stalemate; backed by the floor itself, Marinette was holding her back, the point neither gaining nor losing ground.

 _“You shouldn’t be this strong,”_ said Lila.  As still as she was, she was barely blurred, her expression visible, teeth gritted in rage.

 _“I’m a baker’s daughter,”_ said Marinette, expression much the same as Lila’s.

“ _It doesn’t matter, though,”_ said Lila, grinning, suddenly.

Marinette barely had time to register the pencil flip around, before there was a mild, almost gentle glow, and a hum in the back of her brain.

She didn’t want to find out what it was, what it did.

With an almighty _push,_ she launched Lila up, and away from her, and scrambled to her feet.

 _Okay._ _Okay, she just had to…_

 

Marinette was alone, in a room with a villain.  _Lila?_   Why had turned her _this_ time?

She hissed in a breath.

This wasn’t Oblivio, surely, because that had been Nino and Alya, but Marinette didn’t know how she’d gotten here.

_Why hadn’t she run?  She needed to transform, now._

But Lila was between her and the door.

“I’m not your enemy, Marinette,” said Lila, smiling.  For a second, she was still enough that the blur was almost imperceptible.  She seemed… Almost normal.

Marinette snorted.  “Says the girl doing whatever Hawkmoth tells her to.”

“Marinette… It’s simple desperation!  Why, if I don’t wrap this up soon, Adrien will spread your little message, and… Oh, but I don’t know if you even remember that anymore.”

Marinette tried to figure out whether or not she should say she remembered, but…

No.

Wait.

She’d been planning something to take her down, with Adrien.

And Lila was making people forget.

“I guess we got you, then, fair and square.”

“Hm… Still too much Marinette left in your skull,” said Lila, and stepped briskly forward.

The eraser side of the pencil glowed, and there was an unnervingly familiar hum in the back of her head.

No.  No!

She rushed forward, slamming into Lila, the hum was interrupted.

Good.

 

Good?  Something was good.  All Marinette knew for a moment was that she was in a fight, and it was imperative that she not let up.

She had been out with Chat Noir, and had just thrown him vertically to see what the maximum height was, but now-

She couldn’t look closely enough to see who she was fighting, but she _felt_ the burning hot slash of something across her chest.

Without thinking, she leveled a savage punch, straight down.

She hit something soft, and… The figure was blurred, but she recognized the raw fury on its face.

A hand slapped across her face, and as she turned away, a hand was at her shirt-collar, and she was _jerked,_ practically bouncing away.

By some miracle, she came up on her feet, and-

Thudded, straight into something solid, and warm, and-

“Easy there, Marinette,” came a familiar voice.

She spun and-

 _“Chat Noir!”_ she said, relief rushing through her.

“Hah!  Of—”  His cocky grin dropped, and he stared at her, eyes wide.

“Oh.”  He took a sharp breath, and looked at the villain, then down at her.  “You-  You- I- You need to get out of here.   _Now.”_

She glanced behind her, where the villain- Those colors.  That hair.  _Lila?_

She needed to transform.

“Right!” she said, and without a word, bolted for the door.

She just needed the right place.

\--

He would have sworn aloud.  He would have screamed, or gone stock still, or fallen over on the ground if it had been any other moment.

_He was an absolute imbecile._

Because he knew that exact confidence, that same trust.  The mind behind it, too, somehow in _less_ turmoil now than it had been yesterday, was utterly familiar, even with the strange blurring that unsettled him to his core.

No wonder he’d thought Ladybug felt familiar.  Yes, it was because he knew her so well, but he knew her so little, and so much more than he’d thought!

But now?  Now, facing a girl who’d only disregarded murder because she didn’t think she’d get away with it?

Lila straightened up.

“So kind of you to wait until I was ready,” she said, “Or have you finally decided to stay and _talk_ for a while?”  She brought the pencil up, and tapped it gently against the faintly uncertain territory of her lips.  “Tell you what, how about we sit down, and we can talk things over.”

 _Destroy your body or your mind, right?_   Okay… So, if that blur in Marinette’s mind had been… Okay.  Okay.

He had to stall, wait for Ladybug to get here.

_Wait for Marinette to find somewhere to transform._

“Alright.  You want to talk?  You can talk from over there?”

She pouted at him.

“Oh, so suspicious.  I promise you I won’t hurt you until I’ve told you what’s happening.”

“I trust you about as far as Ladybug couldn’t throw you.”

“As far as…” she laughed.  “Oh, Chat Noir, you say the funniest things.  Well, you see, it’s not _really_ my fault that I’m in this mess.  If you must know, it’s actually the fault of… Well, you saw her, as she was leaving.  I don’t blame you for thinking she’s the victim, but really, she was trying to ruin me!”

She was leaned up against a desk, and he could feel the barest tickle of something in the back of his head.

Maybe a minute until Ladybug arrived, and he’d need to be careful.

“Well,” he said, taking a small step backwards, feeling the buzz recede into nonexistence.  There was a range on it.  Good to know. “let’s start there, then.  How was she trying to ruin you?”

“Well…” said Lila, “she made a recording of me.  It’s an _obvious_ fake, I wish you could hear it for yourself, but it’s designed to make me sound like a _villain,_ if you can believe it.”

An obvious fake, huh?  Good thing he _had_ heard it, or her delivery might have sold the lie.

“If it’s so obvious, why is it so bad that she has it?”

“Well, that’s the problem!  It’s obvious to _me_ , but it’s hard to be sure if you don’t already _know,_ and she’s kept herself in good standing with the class.  As far as _they_ know, she’s completely honest!  But really, she’s a fake!”

With the last word, she’d taken a decisive step forward, and he felt the buzz rise again.

_Come on, Ladybug._

“Well,” he said, turning to pace to the side, just a bit further from her, “I’m obviously skeptical of anyone working with Hawkmoth, just as a matter of course.”

She laughed.  “Of course you are, but trust me, as soon as I fix things up, I’d be just _delighted_ to let Ladybug purify the Akuma.”

He smiled, hearing footfalls. “Well… Here she comes now.  How about we let her into this little discussion?”

“Actually, I’m not sure we should tell her about any of this,” said Lila, stepping forward again.

“Chat Noir!  What’s happening!”

“Oh, nothing special.  Lila here just spilled the beans on every lie she’s ever told, on tape.”

Lila hissed, and stepped forward, and the buzz suddenly burned in his head, the light shining brighter now.

He rushed forward, but could barely see, half blinded as he was.

She dove away, and the buzz…

 

He was facing down an Akuma.

_How had he gotten here?  The last thing he recalled, Nino had been telling him about his anniversary date with Alya,_

“Wh—“ he managed, swinging his baton, but there was a buzz in his skull, and though it vanished as quickly as she dodged it…

 

He was facing down an Akuma.

_How had he gotten here?  The last thing he recalled, he’d been on the phone with Marinette, talking about dealing with Lila._

And the Akuma certainly looked like a strange, out of focus version of Lila.

Something had happened, and he needed to fight her, before whatever had happened, happened more.

He rushed forward, capitalizing on the line Ladybug had wrapped around her.

Lila was trying to bring the thing in her hand up against Ladybug, but he slapped the baton across her face, and she chose to yank on the line, bringing up… A pencil?

The eraser glowed, and there was a hum in his mind, as-

Ladybug smashed bodily into the villain, and…

 

He was facing down an Akuma.

_How had he gotten here?  The last thing he recalled, he’d had his hand pressed gently against Ladybug’s head, feeling her absolute trust in him._

“What’s going on?” he said.  Her eyes widened, and as she pulled him back, he could feel her fear, and worry.

“She’s erasing our memories,” she said, “that has to be it.  We need to end this, _now._   _Lucky Charm!_ ”

She was bringing the pencil up again, and if Ladybug was right, then he couldn’t let her do whatever it was she wanted to do.  He was Chat Noir, and if there was one thing he knew, it was that it was _his job_ to buy Ladybug time.

If she was going to mindwipe anyone, it was going to be _him._

\--

_A bullhorn?_

_Why now, Tikki?  It could have just been some kind of instant pencil-breaking machine!_

Okay.  Okay.  Bullhorn.  Loud.  Red.  Shouting.  Lila.  Lying.  Recording.  _Done._

“Chat Noir!”  she called, and he stumbled backwards.

“My lady?  What happened to Mr. Pidgeon?”

_How much had he lost?  Which time did he think this was?_

“The wall!  Now!” she said aloud.

He blinked, but nodded, and- _“Cataclysm!”_

With barely a thought, he broke a path through to the courtyard, and they busted through the wall.

“I’ll distract her, and while she’s seeing red, you go for the pencil,” she said, and he blinked, but- “I- Okay.”

“Right.”

Lila was following them out, but Ladybug didn’t hesitate, leaping away, onto a bit of balcony a bit further away.  The less she saw Chat Noir coming, the better.

She put the bullhorn to her mouth.

 _“Lila Rossi is an unconscionable liar!  She is not my friend!  She is not who she says she is!  Every good thing she has—”_ She gasped, as the light came from behind her, like a small sun.  She could barely hear Lila’s roar of fury over the almighty tone inside her skull, like a bell reverberating.

\--

He pulled away, for an instant, from the almost blinding light, but rallied.

Ladybug had told him to break the pencil while she was seeing red, and she was jabbing it at Ladybug, screaming her lungs out.  He had a job to do, and he’d _do_ it.

He rushed forward, and she barely even registered him, and in a second-

_Crunch._

The pieces of the pencil fell to the ground, and as the light subsided, a wash of black swept over the indistinct figure, revealing- _Lila Rossi?_

He barely had time to blink, before she realized where she was.

Her eyes went wide.

 _“No, no, no, no, no,”_ she said, reaching out almost feverishly for the butterfly, as if trying to catch it.

The butterfly, though, seemed to have other ideas, and Ladybug would doubtless-

Ladybug was bewildered.  She looked down, seemingly uncomprehending, at Lila, then up, at him.

“Chat Noir!  What happened!  Did Darkblade get me?  Or-“

“Ladybug!  The Akuma!  Before it gets away!”

She practically jumped as she spotted it, but thankfully, if there was one instinct she’d taken to heart after Stoneheart, it was that if there was an Akuma, she should purify it.

 _“I-  You’re done!”_ she said, her normal line apparently not coming to mind easily at the moment.

“Now!  I don’t know what’s going on!  Please, set it back!”

“Right!  Miraculous Ladybug!” she shouted, throwing the bullhorn skyward.

Lila _screamed,_ as the Ladybugs exploded out like an oncoming tide.

And then everything went white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ran a little long, but honestly, I think it merited the extra 500 or so words it got.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Memories return, with little regard for anything but arriving.
> 
> Marinette needs some rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was tricky to write, but I done did do it.

As the wave passed her, Ladybug didn’t notice anything different, at first, and then it seemed almost like her brain was _stretched,_ memories suddenly sliding back into place, day by day, week by week.

She groaned as she rapidly experienced a dozen Akumas at once, and practically staggered under the weight of everything she’d forgotten.

The worst part was the feeling that _that_ must have been the last thing she’d forgotten, only for the memories to keep flowing, always feeling for a bare instant like the present, before aging immediately into memories.

She could see Chat Noir, not quite as badly buckled under the stress.

He put a hand up to his head, as if it was aching, and for a second, just stood there.

Then, with a gasp, he straightened up.  He looked at her with an expression she couldn’t make out, eyes watering as they were.

Suddenly, he stepped forward, and put a hand on her shoulder.  She could feel him shudder, probably from runoff emotions from her developing memories.

“Okay,” he said, letting out a shaky breath, “Okay, come on, Ladybug, you’ve got to get transformed back.”

“But… But you’re still hheee…” the word trailed off, caught up in the torrent of memory.

“I know, I know, I’ll leave, it’s fine,” he said, the words coming out with the nervous speed of someone afraid of losing their place.  “Just… get into the classroom, so nobody sees it.”

He pulled, gently, and she followed, trying to focus on his hands on her arm.

The passed a doorway; the classroom?  Right.  That’s where he’d said.

“Okay.  Now, remember,” he said, “as soon as I leave, spots off.  Can you do that.”

She tried to focus, and… She nodded, slowly, “As… As soon as you leave, spots…  spots…” she staggered forward, “spots off.”

She barely felt the suit vanish, didn’t even know whether he was still there.  Instead, she _winced,_ as several lines of pain burned across her body.

She let out a groan, unable to hold it back, and fell to her knees, and then, barely able to stop herself from smacking her head on the ground, fell to her hands and knees.

And then, the stream of memories stopped, and she was just Marinette, flopped the rest of the way against the ground.

She wasn’t sure how long she was lying there, just… Unable to make herself move.

They’d… Won, hadn’t they?  The memories after Lila had started erasing her memories were blurred, at best, but she’d purified an Akuma, right?  Or had that been one from days, or weeks, or months, or… Had it just been some other Akuma?

Surely not.  She remembered seeing Lila turn back to normal.

Lila…  should she be worried?  Lila could easily be following her into the classroom, trying something desperate, but Marinette… Honestly, at this point, she wasn’t sure she had it in her to care about it.

She wanted to sleep, but…  She let out the barest trace of a laugh; it was only lunchtime.  Too early for a nap.  Well, unless it was a siesta.  That might be fun.

She was vaguely aware of footsteps.

Hopefully not…

Hopefully not…

“Marinette?” came Adrien’s voice.

\--

He didn’t know where Lila had gone; probably away, somewhere, but there was little telling.  He wasn’t a skilled tracker, and she could have gone just about anywhere.

He knelt beside Marinette, resting a hand on her back, not sure whether it was to comfort her, or see how she was doing.

//

_He feels a soft warmth spread through her, the confusing blur of returning memories seemingly finished, but she’s too tired even for embarrassment, or fear, or confusion, or… Anything, really.  Well, too tired, or she just doesn’t realize it’s him.  He makes out what seems to be pain, but even that’s muted._

_Marinette seems to be spent._

_He can’t blame her.  After everything, and especially after facing down an Akuma, untransformed… Well, he’d be lying on the ground too._

_He sits down next to her, letting his hand rub slow circles on her back._

_She lets out a soft groan, and he can feel her mind sinking into… Unconsciousness?_

_Well, she deserves a rest._

_A few seconds pass, and her breathing goes slow, and even.  He realizes that she probably can’t even feel his hand at this point, and…_

//

He pulled his hand away, and just… Sat there, back bent, arms rested on his knees, in the manner of a warrior at the end of a long battle.  Considering how much time he’d reexperienced, it might as _well_ have been a long battle.

_Marinette was Ladybug._

He should have been excited, jubilant, even.

Instead, he was on the verge of lying back next to her and joining her in her nap.  Maybe, if he left an arm lying across her, they’d end up in the same dream, like had happened with Plagg.  Maybe he could let her know about…  but he had no reason to sleep, did he.  Not as far as anyone else was concerned.

_Marinette was Ladybug._

He’d been sure of it just from how Marinette felt around Chat Noir, and then… Well, it wasn’t either of their faults that she’d detransformed just then.  She’d been on the verge of passing out, and experiencing memories at thousands of times their normal speed.

So… What now?  What did he-

Alya bolted into the room, followed almost instantly by Nino.

They froze, staring at him, and, beside him, Marinette.

They didn’t say anything, both seemingly at a loss for words.

“Marinette’s okay,” he said, “Or… Well, she will be.  She’s… Asleep, I think.”

Alya lets out a shaky breath.  “She just… Fought her.”

“Did you see what happened?” said Nino.

“I… Yeah.  Chat Noir showed up, and then so did Ladybug, and Marinette… Well, I lost a few days of memories, and she… Probably lost a lot more.  But, mine are back, and I’m sure hers will be too, once she wakes up.”

“Okay.  Okay.  And… She’s fine?  Otherwise, I mean?”

“I… I think so.  Getting my memories back was unpleasant, but that’s about the worst of it for me.  She didn’t _look_ hurt, either, from what I saw.”

He looked over, and… There was a scratch on her arm, small, but definitely there.

“Then again…”

_He should check, shouldn’t he?_

Marinette barely even reacted as he turned her onto her back, and he barely sensed anything from touching her.

He saw the red lines across her face, first, but there didn’t even seem to have been any blood drawn.  Then, the red mark on her thigh, a nasty-looking gash, but…  Even that seemed to have already scabbed over, courtesy of the Ladybugs, no doubt.

He nodded, slowly.  “Yeah…”

Alya laughed, almost ruefully, leaning up against the wall, and sliding slowly down it,  “She always gets on my case for running after villains to get video.  Then she does _this_.”

“So… Now what?” said Nino, “Do we just… Oh, uh, dude, did you check to make sure the voicemail was still there?”

“I… Right.  Yeah.”

Barely even able to hope nothing’s went wrong, Adrien opened his voicemails.

One new message.

He taps it.

“- _Marinette,” came Lila’s voice_

_A long silence._

_“Back in the same bathroom,” said Marinette, “and I imagine you’ve come to threaten me.”_

_“Mmm…  Something like that,” responded Lila_

He closed the message before he was forced to listen to it.

His memories kept coming back to the very end.  Marinette’s had too, by all appearances.  The message _was_ there.  Of course it was.  Lila hadn’t even gotten the chance to focus on the phone.

“It feels… Weird, the idea of just sending it to everyone,” said Alya.

“Yeah, but… I mean, the more people know, the harder of a time she’ll have ever trying anything again,” said Adrien

“What about everybody feeling betrayed,” said Nino, sitting down with his back to his desk, “I mean, I know _I’m_ not feeling too good right now.”

“You mean… More villains?” said Adrien, and groaned.  “You’re right. Either we do it now, and hope Hawkmoth isn’t up for another one, or… We wait, and…  Well, whatever we do, we should tell everyone at once.  He usually only Akumatizes one person at a time, so unless we’re getting Scarlet Moth again, that’s the safest option.”

“Yeah…  Do we know how he did that?” said Nino.

“Best guess…  He used his own Miraculous on himself,” said Alya, “but… I’m assuming there’s some reason he couldn’t do it every time, or he’d have _been_ doing it.”

“So, what, we tell Mme. Bustier, and she tells the whole class that one of the people they trusted most is a liar and… Whatever it is that makes you do… any of that.”  Adrien groaned.  “Or do we just send out a copy of it and hope they get the message?”

“I… I think we have to.  It’s the only way they’ll believe us,” said Alya.  “Can your phone export messages?”

“Um, probably?” said Adrien.  “Hang on…”

\--

When Marinette woke up, it was to a class half full.

Adrien, Nino, and Alya, were speaking solemnly to Mme. Bustier.  Adrien had his phone out.

The people who were already in the class were mostly staring blankly at their phones, some scared, some pale.  Those who weren’t were giving her concerned looks.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and silently went to her seat.

There wasn’t a lot of teaching, the rest of that day, and there was even less learning; well, not much learning except…

Anyway.

Marinette, for her part, barely noticed any of it.

She’d been so confident this morning.  Of course, she’d been right to, technically; she’d won, after all.

Still, the memories, for all they’d been erased, had come back just as vivid, and just as unnerving.

 

Hours passed, and she barely even said hello to her parents before collapsing on the chaise in her room, unable to muster the energy to climb the ladder.

“Marinette,” said Tikki, gently, “are you okay?”

“Mmm…” said Marinette, “I’m tired, Tikki.”

Tikki sighed.  “I know you’re tired, Marinette, but… Are you _okay?_ ”

“I…  I’ll be okay,” she said, managing a faint laugh at her kwami’s concern.  “You know me…”

“I _do_ know you, Marinette.  I know how much pressure you’re under, too.”

“That’s why I’m resting.”

There was a long silence, and then Tikki patted her lightly on the back.

“Alright.”

\--

And rest she did.

To an eye focused on movement, Marinette was just a part of the scenery.  At various points throughout the day, a red blur zipped across the room, vanished, reappeared with a cookie, went outside for a bit to take in the sights, reappeared, vanished again,

Minutes passed, and Marinette barely moved.

An hour, and the casual viewer would begin to wonder if she was alive, though the _astute_ viewer would see that she was still breathing.

After the first few hours, she started moving in her sleep again, seemingly more… Awake, in her sleep, than she _had_ been.

Midway through hour three, when she failed to appear for dinner, her mother poked her head in, and covered her with a blanket.

\--

When Marinette finally woke up, it was to a numb left arm, a mouth that was frankly unhappy, and a serious case of bedhead, or… Well, chaise-head, she supposed.

She groaned and pulled herself upright, no thanks to her utterly useless left arm, shaking her head at the truly _off_ taste of her mouth.

Surely she had a water bottle in here, or…  She blinked at the clock.

1 AM.

Of course it was.

_Of course it was._

Really, she should… Just get into her bed, and let the rest of the night pass.  By all rights, considering how often she’d stayed up late for superhero business, she was _owed_ the extra sleep.

Well, she had a water bottle on her desk, because when she got into a groove, she wasn’t getting up for _anyone_.  So, of course, there was _that._

She unscrewed the cap, a bit awkwardly, since her other hand was still only just coming back, and took a drink.

Lukewarm, of course, but as she breathed in after the swig, she felt almost normal, again.

Great.

A short jaunt to the bathroom, and back to her room, and Marinette was faced with a choice.

Of course, she’d lost hours of daylight, so maybe she should gain it back now, and…  But then, she’d have become nocturnal.  Surely nobody wanted that, except maybe Hawkmoth.

Then again, she could sleep.

Yeah.

Yeah, a bit more sleep wouldn’t do her any harm, right?

But first…  The day had been warm, and it seemed like the same cozy warmth that had wrapped her up with her blanket was still following her, leaving her, frankly, a bit less than thrilled at the prospect of more blankets.

Probably best she got a bit of fresh air, first.

She could open a window, but then… What was the point of a balcony, if you didn’t use it?

She climbed up, and out, taking a deep breath of the comparatively cool air.

Even this late, Paris was still beautiful.  Streetlights glowed down below, and out across the city, distant and dim as if to invite the viewer to ask whose they were.

Marinette, eyes half closed, smiled.

Usually, if she was up this late, it was life or death.

Tonight, her life was as safe as ever, and death was the furthest thing from her mind…

At least, death was far from her mind, until she turned, and almost _died_ from shock at the sight of Chat Noir reclining on her balcony, fast asleep.

She strangled the scream, and just… stared.

“Huh.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody's properly awake, but Chat Noir's still here to make sure Marinette's okay.  
> Marinette is a human sunbeam.  
> Chat Noir is not a heated blanket... At least, not today.

For a long second, Marinette didn’t know what to do.

Chat Noir had _been_ on her balcony before, of course, but this time, he wasn’t just _here,_ he was… Asleep.

And he’d _been_ asleep for a while, judging by his posture; sprawled out with no regard for any kind of propriety…

Or maybe he just slept like that.  She certainly wouldn’t put it past him.

So…

What?

What exactly was he doing here?

Well… She could theorize, of course, but the _better_ option would be…

She laid a hand on his shoulder, and considered how _exactly_ to try this.

To her surprise, though it shouldn’t have been, his face twisted in his sleep to the same considering expression she was wearing.

She fought back a laugh at the way his mouth twisted in… Well, he probably wasn’t exactly thinking, just… wondering at nothing.

“Chat Noir?” she said, wondering whether that meant he was more awake than he seemed.

Nothing.

Okay.

Well, time to find out how he woke up.

She shook at his shoulder.

Nothing.

He was really out of it, apparently.

Alright, fine.

She reached down, and grabbed one shoulder, and one hip.

“Sorry, Chat Noir, but I’d prefer not to shout,” she said, “and this ought to work.”

She pulled, and he rolled dutifully off of the chair, and then-

It was like a small explosion of limbs, as Chat Noir practically _bounced,_ coming up wild-eyed.

 _“Wh—_ ” he said, and then… Blinked.

“Uhhh…”

Marinette kept her expression perfectly even.  “I could say the same to you.”

He blinked again, once, twice more, and snorted.

“I’m sure you could.  Sorry about that.  I… I heard about what happened today.  Earlier.”

“You heard the recording?”

“Uh, yeah… It got, uh… Sent around, and I heard it.”

“So… Did you know?  Before, I mean.”

He stared into space.  “I… Yeah, I think Ladybug might have mentioned something about her being a liar when we fought her.  I saw her interview, where she’d said she was Ladybug’s friend, and Ladybug didn’t seem to agree.  I more or less figured it out after a while.”

“And now you’re here on my balcony because…?”

“Well, I was just thinking… If I had been the one in your position, in that bathroom, I’d have been pretty messed up afterwards, and I mean, I heard you were kind of… Out of it, so I figured, you know, kind of the superhero thing to do, just, like, make sure you’re okay.”

“Hah,” said Marinette, “and then you decided to sleep on my roof?”

Chat Noir blushed lightly.  “Well…  I mean…” he sighed, sitting back down,  “Listen.  I got here, and I was going to knock, and then I realized that maybe I’d do more harm than good by not letting you take a day to rest, and then I was thinking that maybe I was just being stupid, and then I sat there worrying about it so long that I, uh… Well…”

“You fell asleep.”

“Look, I had to reremember a lot of memories too!” he said, stretching himself back into a reclined position, “And _I_ had… Uh, stuff, to… do, before I could even think about resting.”

\--

Marinette laughed.  “Getting a little defensive there, aren’t we?”

“Only because you seem to be attacking me.”

“Well…” she said, reaching a hand out to scratch at the top of his head, “Trust me, I’m not here to attack you.”

//

_He can feel the haze of sleep, and a glow of warmth, like a campfire._

_To his surprise, it’s… different.  Not_ different _different, but different from what he’d seen earlier, or when she’d been Ladybug.  Really, he shouldn’t be too surprised, since he already knows it’s possible to feel different about seeing someone from day to day._

_“Well…” he says, “I mean, maybe not to attack me, but… Come on, just judging by your hair, it looks like you’ve already been asleep for a while.  Not to mention…”  Should he explain again?  She already knows, but…_

_“Not to mention what?”_

_Well, she doesn’t know that he knows that she knows, so… “Oh, just something that happened recently.  Don’t ask me why, since I don’t really know, but I can feel emotions.”_

_He catches the faintest glimpse of nerves just as she pulls her hand away._

//

At a guess, probably trying to conceal her lack of surprise.

“Oh.  Really?” she said, the surprise less convincing than it might have been.

“Yeah.  I was going to mention I can kind of _feel_ the tired.”

“Oh…  I see…  So… That’s kind of strange.  I mean, you’ve got the power of destruction, right?”

“Yeah…  I don’t know whose idea it was to give me this, but I’m pretty sure they had no idea what they were doing.”

“Yeah, I mean…  You’d think it would be something like greater agility, or something that you already kind of have when you’re transformed.  Maybe something like your Cataclysm.”  She sat down.

He laughed.  “And yet…”

“And yet.”  She sighed, leaning back.  “So you can feel the sleep, huh?”

“Yeah… It’s not all emotion.  You kind of get the shape of the person’s mind, too.”

“You… Oh.  I see.  And… Has that part of things been useful?”

He looked over, and smiled at her.  “Nothing I can say without giving away some secrets.”

She looked down.  “Right.”

“I will say, though, my Kwami was sure I’d love it, but… Honestly, it’s caused a lot of trouble, so far.  Maybe it was trouble that needed to happen, but I’m not sure I’d say I loved it.”

“Right…  More things you can’t talk about, though?”

He nodded, slowly.  “Yeah.”

He straightened, slightly, and shook his head.  “But this whole conversation has gotten off-topic.  I came by to make sure you were doing okay, after everything that happened today.”

\--

“I mean… I should probably go back to bed, but… Yeah.  I’m alright.  My—” She cut off the word ‘Kwami’ “—mother was kind of asking me the same thing.  Obviously, it’s been a long day, but, well, you were right.  I fell asleep almost as soon as I got home, and you know how it goes; things always look a bit more manageable after a nap.”

“That’s what Plagg always says,” said Chat Noir, “ah, that would be my kwami.  I don’t think cats actually like cheese, but as far as the rest of it goes… the laziness, the disdain, the enjoying destruction…  He’s got the ‘cat’ part down.”

Marinette laughed.  “Sounds like a handful.”

She sighed.  “But yeah.  I’m okay.  If even _you_ heard the message, then my entire class should have.  The teachers…  Well, I’m assuming you’re not one of them, but-

“No… No way.  Not old enough.”

“Right.  I don’t suppose you _know_ if…”

“Yeah.  They know.  Actually, I’m pretty sure _someone_ was going to the police.  Not sure what you call threatening to stab yourself to frame a classmate, but I’m pretty sure it’s illegal.  Her base-level lying, maybe not prosecutable, but definitely won’t help her case.”

“No… It wouldn’t.”

They sat there in silence for a minute.

“So.  Just… For my reference…”

“Yeah?”

“You know that thing where you wake up, and everything feels all warm and fuzzy?”

She nodded, slowly.

“I… I mean…  I know you were feeling that earlier… I don’t suppose you’ve got any left?”

She turned, and gave him an amused look.

He put his hands up.  “Sorry!  Sorry.  Maybe it’s the being transformed, but it’s just a really cozy feeling.”

She laughed, and reached out a hand, resting it gently on his forehead.

He let out a soft sigh, seeming to melt back into the reclined chair.  Very catlike, she had to admit.

“Mm… Marinette Dupain-Cheng; human sunbeam.”

She laughed, and for a minute, just let him lie there.

Seeing him lying there, so at peace, left her calm and warm, which presumably cycled back in, which… Well, anyway.

Hmm…  Of course, the downside was that her arm was getting tired.  Now, of course, if she just got onto the chair with him, it would be a problem solved, and considering how warm his forehead was, he’d probably basically be a heated blanket, and-

She tried, as inconspicuously as possible, to replace the train of thought in whatever obscure corner of her brain it had popped out of, even as she felt Chat Noir’s brow furrow beneath her hand.

Honestly, it was probably just that she was Ladybug, and considering some of the stuff that had happened, using him as a heated blanket wouldn’t be too crazy, barring the fact that it wasn’t for emergency purposes.  Certainly, even forgetting about some of the more pointed cases, like the time they’d pretended to be together to fool Glaciator, or the time she’d had to kiss him to break Dark Cupid’s curse, they still ended up in contact _a lot._

For that matter, she’d had an arm around his waist _yesterday, o_ r, well, the day before, even if it was only to launch him over the rooftops of Paris.

But then, that was Ladybug.  Ladybug had been working with him for over a year, now.  All _Marinette_ had to go on was a few visits and the once or twice they’d met during an Akuma attack.

She looked up, and Chat Noir was giving her a quizzical look.

She pulled her hand away, clearing her throat as if to suggest that whatever he’d just felt from her, it was nothing important.

“Ah… Sorry, I was thinking about something,” she said.

“I mean, I assumed,” he said.  “Anything…  Well, anything _not_ personal?”

“Well… No.  Not really,” she said.

He didn’t press, just nodding, gently.

He shook his head, standing up.  “Well, if I’m honest, we could both do with some more sleep.  We’ve got school tomorrow, or, well, later today.”

“Something doesn’t happen ‘today’ if you’re sleeping for more than 6 hours before it,” said Marinette.

Chat Noir snorted.  “Is that the official definition?”

“Well… That’s what my mom said the one time she found me working on something at 3 AM.”

He laughed.  “Okay, so pretty official, then.”

“Mhm.”

“Still, we’re getting pretty close to it _being_ ‘today,’ so let’s get to it!”

“Sleeping?”

“Yes!”

He hopped to his feet, and pulled the trapdoor open.

“After… Well, _not_ after you, actually; as soon as you go in, I’m going home.”

“And I appreciate that.  My room is a mess, and it’s after midnight.”

“Well, I don’t really mind _messes_ that much,” he said, shrugging.

“Oh, really?” she said, laughing, and stepping down.  “Well, it’s still after midnight, so if you’re visiting, how about you visit _earlier._ ”

He seemed outright surprised.

“I mean, I’m sure my parents would be glad to see that you still talk to me, after…”

After the ill-fated time she’d had to say she had a crush on him to avoid his suspicion.

He seemed to be thinking about something, but shook it off, and grinned at her.  “I believe you’re a Mecha Strike player?”

“You could say that,” she said.  Then as he turned to leave, “Or, you could say I’m the Mecha Strike _Champion.”_


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien goes on an emotional roller coaster.  
> Alya with the clever ruse.  
> Marinette... That was probably a hallucination. Definitely not real.

The atmosphere in the class was quiet, the next day, and Adrien couldn’t blame them.  Sure, they’d had a day to process things, but it was a _lot_ to process.  More to the point, despite the attention leveled on her, Lila had… Well, they said she’d gone _missing._   Where, how, nobody seemed to really _know._   A couple people had suggested that what she’d said about her parents being diplomats was true, and she’d caught a plane out early.  Her _mother_ had, at least; a surprise vacation to Italy.  Suspicious.  Or, then again, maybe Hawkmoth shown up to save his most reliable weapon.  There were a few ideas… Some of the ideas were grim, but Adrien had to believe that _those_ at least weren’t true.  Just rumors.

Rumors that, more to the point, there was no use dwelling on.

After all, Lila couldn’t work with Hawkmoth without risking her anonymity, even if she _was_ still in the country.  At this point, she was reduced to simple human malice, and _that_ at least had to be better than Volpina.

Adrien drummed his fingers on his desk, waiting for his train of thought to find a good place to stop, so he could finally leave the mess behind.

She was gone, or good as.

And her last gift had been…

He looked back at Marinette.  It was strange to think that the only reason he knew was because she’d been forced to take on a villain solo.  She’d risked her life, and yet, _this_ was the effect of the fight that couldn’t be undone.

He realized he was staring, though she didn’t seem to be looking at him right now, and, blushing slightly, he turned to face front again.

He sat in front of Ladybug in class.  He fought supervillains with Marinette.  Until yesterday, both statements would have been surreal, even absurd.  Today…  They still were, honestly.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t imagine Marinette and Ladybug being the same person; even if he hadn’t felt it, seen it, he’d have said he could see the similarities.  For that matter, he _had_ said it.  ‘Our everyday Ladybug,’ he’d called her.  In retrospect, that must have been truly surreal for _her._

But… Marinette, his classmate, the girl who passed the time between classes by idly doodling beautiful designs in her sketchbook, swinging across Paris?  Throwing him across rooftops for a laugh?  The idea alone left him a bit lightheaded.

And, on the other hand, Ladybug, the unbreakable, unstoppable superhero, secretly being Marinette, one of the most _human_ people he knew?  Had he come up with the idea, he’d have condemned it as wishful thinking.

And if, at some point, he’d combined the ideas with the thought that maybe she didn’t have a crush on Chat Noir, but she _did_ on Adrien, then…  He’d have thrown the whole idea out as too good to be true.

Except, it _was_ true.

So… Now what?

Of course, there was nothing stopping him from asking Marinette out.  Of course, he _could_ do that, but then…

Weeks, months, years later, the two of them would surely reveal their identities to each other, at _least_ when Hawkmoth was defeated.  And then what would he say?  _‘I’ve known who you are for years, without telling you.’_   Yeah.  Right.

What would she think?

Well… What would _he_ think?  Suppose Ladybug asked him out tonight, as Chat Noir, and he didn’t know what he knew.  If, in the distant future, it turned out that she’d asked him out after finding out he was secretly Adrien, would that be… A betrayal?

The problem was, though, that the two situations were different.  He could see Marinette being Ladybug, now that he knew it, but, if he told Nino, for example, that he was Chat Noir, it would sound like a joke. Chat Noir and Adrien were practically different people!

Not… Not actually different, obviously, it wasn’t like Chat Noir took him over, like some kind of alternate personality; it was still _him,_ but the point was that when he was being Chat Noir, he didn’t have to be Adrien, so he _wasn’t._

He’d found out that Ladybug was Marinette, and it had left him elated, but what about Marinette finding out that Adrien Agreste was secretly Chat Noir?  If their positions had been reversed, would Adrien gain anything, in her eyes, from being Chat Noir?  Would… Would being Chat Noir ruin how she felt about Adrien?

But then… She trusted him, implicitly.  Despite everything he was technically capable of, despite the fact that he could see directly into her heart… In a strange way, that was just as good as what he felt from Marinette.

So maybe it wouldn’t ruin it, but she at least deserved _some_ warning, or else-

“You selling tickets?”

He blinked, and looked over at Nino, who shrugged, packing his supplies away (another class Adrien had almost entirely missed).

“I dunno, man, that emotional roller coaster you’re on looks pretty exciting.”

“I—” he started, before almost coughing a laugh, “Yeah…”

“Personally, my favorite part was the bit where you were just sort of smiling into the distance for a while; what was that about?”

“Ahh…” the sound trailed on, and Adrien gave him a sort of… unnerved ‘please don’t ask me about that’ look.

Nino shrugged.  “Well, if you want to talk about it, dude, just let me know.”

“Thanks.  Yeah, I uh… I’ll keep it in mind,” he said, even though there was no _possible_ way he could tell Nino.

A few seconds passed.

“So,” said Adrien, mentally pulling himself together, “after everything that happened yesterday, I never even thought to ask about the necklaces you and Alya got.”

Nino let out a breath.  “Yeah… Yesterday was _crazy,_ dude.  I mean, you know that, obviously.”  He shook his head, and reached up to his neck.  “Check it out. _”_

Adrien blinked.  “Huh.”

“Yeah, Alya thought it’d be funny if we switched them.”

“So I guess she’s wearing the turtle one?”

“Yup.”

“Wait, but isn’t the turtle Miraculous a bracelet?  Didn’t you say matching _necklaces_?”

“I mean, yeah, but a matched necklace and bracelet doesn’t work quite as well.”

“Yeah… I suppose it doesn’t.”  Internally, Adrien felt there was something he’d just missed, but…  He shrugged it off, wondering what they’d do for him and Ladybug.  Would they stick with the original, or change them to be the same?  After all, both the ring and the earrings were iconic.  Surely all of Paris had to know _exactly_ what Hawkmoth wanted.

\--

Marinette hadn’t been at her _best,_ per se; she’d said something about Chat Noir visiting, which Alya had pounced on, of course, and by the end of it, she was about half convinced that of her and Chat Noir, _one_ of them at least liked the other, if not both.

Marinette had denied it (more or less accurately, since he didn’t know she was Ladybug) but having her poke at it helped Marinette, and probably Alya too, for that matter, forget about yesterday, so on average, she was pretty sure it came out to a net gain.

_Yesterday._

It felt like it was so _long_ ago.

Personally, Marinette would have felt much more comfortable if it _was_ long ago.

But, for now, it was yesterday, and it felt like there was a light fog over everything.

A fog that, in a strange twist meant that she didn’t even notice Adrien sitting on one of the benches between the lockers.

“Hey Marinette!” he said, cheerily, as she approached.

“Ah!  Hi!  Adrien!” she said, grasping frantically for her composure.  Grabbing hold of the one thing she could find, she managed to respond more adequately.  “You, seem to be in a pretty good mood.”

Adrien smiled, and Marinette suddenly understood what ‘beaming’ was; the room seemed brighter for it.

“Of course I am, I just saw you!”

Marinette let out a strangled noise, face rapidly approaching the shade of a strawberry.  “Oh,” she squeaked, at least an octave higher than her normal voice.  “Th- thank you!”

He laughed, lightly, and Marinette wasn’t sure if the room really _was_ getting brighter, or if her consciousness was just fading.

“Aw, come on Marinette,” he said, standing up, pulling his bag around, “you shouldn’t thank me.”

“O-  Oh?”

“No!” he lightly pressed a hand onto her shoulder.  “Telling the truth isn’t anything special.  It’s just something we’re all supposed to do.”

“Aahh~” she managed, as he slipped past her, and out the door.

The encounter couldn’t have taken more than half a minute.

Marinette thankfully managed to land on the bench, and tried to breathe.

She _really_ hoped nobody was about to come in.

\--

It was almost unfair.

 _All_ of it, was almost unfair.

The first unfair thing, was that she could laugh off just about anything Chat Noir said, but had been utterly annihilated by just a few words from Adrien.  He could have been doing it this way the whole time!

The second unfair thing was to her; in truth, it probably classified as taking advantage of her…  Well, except for the fact that she was _definitely_ dying of happiness, rather than anything negative.

The _third_ unfair thing was how obscenely adorable she was when she was flustered.  Maybe he was getting _her_ flustered, but there was no denying that her reaction, the sound she’d made as he’d walked past her, the raw, untempered emotional _deluge_ he’d felt when he’d touched her shoulder, the shade of red her face had been…

He’d need to lie down when he got home.

He’d need to lie down, and _breathe._

Frankly, she’d probably need to as well, but she’d be handling that part for herself.

Actually…

He could probably arrange to be at her house, _as Adrien,_ in time to help her with that part.

Oh god.

Cuddling with Marinette.

He didn’t know what exactly that would do to him, but he was pretty sure he wanted to find out.

He might die, but he’d die happy.

But he couldn’t do that, yet.

Because the fourth unfair thing was that he had to wait.

Specifically, he had to wait one more night.

Because he needed to tell Marinette what he knew, before he could do _anything_ in good conscience, events of a few minutes ago notwithstanding.

This might be the longest night of his life.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir seeks some verification.

When Chat Noir showed up, Marinette almost wasn’t surprised.

After all, they’d run into each other several times, recently, and she _had_ kind of invited him back to visit… In retrospect, it had probably been a bad idea; the more often they spoke, the greater the odds one of them would learn something they shouldn’t.

So, when there had been a light tap from above, she barely had to nod at Tikki before going to open up the trapdoor.

“Chat Noir,” she said, “I’ve got to admit, when I invited you back, I wasn’t expecting you to take me up on the offer quite so quickly.

He laughed.  “Well…  Honestly, I’d have been back whether you invited me or not.”

She raised her eyebrows.

“Ah, no, that’s not…” he sighed.  “Not like that.  I just… I actually had… Ulterior motives for visiting last night- No, that sounds worse.”

“You’re kind of digging yourself a hole,” agreed Marinette, clambering up onto the balcony.

“Right…”

“You know,” she said, making it to her feet, “I’m surprised you didn’t practice for your 'ulterior motives.'”

He laughed, a bit uncomfortably.  “I mean… I tried.  The thing is… I… Nothing sounded right.”

She furrowed her brow, slightly.  It sounded like he was about to admit to a crush on her, but…

“I mean, that’s how I ended up falling asleep.  It’s…” he sighed.  “It’s kind of an urgent thing to tell you.”

“So… You have something to tell me, then?”

“Yeah…  I would have told you yesterday, but… Well, I thought it would be too much.”

“Should I be sitting down for this?”

“I mean…  Maybe?  I don’t think you’ll pass out.”

She sat down, and waited.

He didn’t say anything, pacing back and forth.

“C’mon, Chat, you’re going to have to tell me sooner or later.”

“I know, I know,” he said, rubbing a hand absently against the side of his face.  “I just…”

He stopped, facing away from her, and straightened up.

“I know you’re Ladybug,” he said, and turned.

Her mind went _blank._

“Wh-  What?”

“I know you’re Ladybug,” he repeated.

“I- no!” she said, “You’ve made a mistake, I’m not Ladybug, I’m just _Marinette. I’m an ordinary girl, with an ordinary life.”_

“And a secret,” he said.

“I- Okay,” she said, shaking her head in her best approximation of disbelief, “what misguided piece of proof makes you _so sure_ that I’m Ladybug.”

His eyes closed in something akin to annoyance, then… The tension dropped, slightly.  “Well… The first thing that made me realize… I’m not exactly the most observant person, but when I’m inside someone’s head, it’s a unique experience.  When you ran into me… When you ran into me yesterday, I felt almost the _exact_ same thing I felt the day before that with Ladybug.  Not just how you felt about me, but who you were behind it.”

“That’s got to be a coincidence, then,” she said, waving a hand dismissively, “I mean, I know one person, at least, compared me to Ladybug.  We’re probably just more alike than I’d have expected.”

“Your appearance, personality…” he shrugged.  “I mean, there _is_ one other thing.”

She sighed.  “Really.”

“Well…” he said, “It was only a few minutes later, and honestly, I don’t blame you for not remembering, but I told you to get back into the classroom, and then say ‘spots off’ after I left?”

“I- I think I heard you talking to Ladybug, something about that,” she said.

He raised his eyebrows.

“Then did you notice the part where she didn’t wait until I’d left?”

Marinette’s mind had run out of _blank,_ and had reverted to profanity.

“Ah- Uh- Um…” she managed aloud, and then… realized she’d waited too long.  If she’d given some instant denial, _maybe_ she could still have salvaged this, told him he was seeing things, and he’d have believed her, but now…

“Oh,” she managed, finally.

He shrugged.  “Sorry.  I probably should have explained that part first, but I want you to know, I really _did_ know before I saw you turn back.”

She sighed.

“I see.”

He shrugged.

“So…  Now what?”

“Well…” he said, head nodding from side to side, “I guess, the first question I have, although I think I already know the answer, is… Should I go, ah, well, I can’t say it or it’ll happen, but should I… detransform?”

She stared at him, suddenly grappling internally with the question that, somehow, she hadn't immediately considered.

“I…” she managed, and shook her head, “no.  No, that’s not a good idea.  We’ve already lost half of our secrets, we can’t afford to lose the other half.  If I get captured, or… interrogated, or if Hawkmoth makes a villain who can read minds…  The less information either of us has, the better.”

\--

He nodded, disappointed, but not surprised.

“I figured.”

She sat there, for a while, and then laughed.  “Honestly… I can see why you’d wait to tell me.  I’m just thinking about yesterday, and… I’d have probably assumed it was a dream, or something.”

“Right.”

They sat in silence a bit longer.

“You know, I was wondering…”

“Yeah?”

“That time I showed up, and you said you were in love with me…”

She gave him a confused look, and then- “Oh, right.  Yeah… I was pretty sure you were about to figure out who I was, so I panicked, and…”

He laughed.  “Really?  I swear, I’ve seen you in a fight, and you _never_ panic, but I guess…”  he went quiet, and then laughed, lightly, “Well, I guess I _have_ seen you panic, then.  That’s… New, I guess.”

A second passed, and he looked over at her.

“So… If I hadn’t, well, turned you down,” he laughed, “turned you down _for you…_   I assume you had a plan, there?”

“Well…  I was working on it.  I was _really_ relieved that you did it for me.  A bit less relieved after Papa… You remember, of course.”

He nodded, slowly.

“It got me wondering, though, since I _did_ turn you down, for you…”

“Chat…”

“I’m just saying!” he said, putting his hands up, “what if I managed to win your heart as ‘not Chat Noir?’  What would happen when you found out?”

“I don’t think you’re exactly my _type,”_ she said.

“Aw, c’mon, we both know you like me, even if it’s not _like that.”_

She pursed her lips.  “Well… I guess that would depend entirely on exactly how much you were pretending to be some _other_ type to do it.  You might have noticed; I don’t like people manipulating me.”

He let out an insulted gasp.  “Marinette, you and I both know that I am, whatever my failings, honorable _to a fault._   If I won you over by lying to you, I wouldn’t have won you over at all!”

“Well,” she said, “the other issue is that I’ll know it’s _you_ now.  Some strange boy comes up to me and starts trying to crack bad jokes at me?  And _don’t pretend_ your ‘real self’ doesn’t make bad jokes.  I’d spot you in a second.”

He laughed.  “You’d think so, but we’ve gone to the same school for over a year now, and neither of us spotted the other.  Maybe it won’t be so easy.”

“Chat…” she said, tone almost warning.  “Listen, I know you want to do this, but I can’t afford to find out who you are.”

“I know,” he said, winking, “but you won’t.  I guarantee it.  I’ll come for you when you least expect it, and by the time you’d have the presence of mind to think it was me, you’ll already be swooning so hard the thought won’t appear.”

She gave him an unimpressed look.

“Besides, I seem to recall hearing about a couple of people with crushes on you; one more in the series shouldn’t make too much difference.”

“You’d better be joking,” she said.  “There’s no way you can do that.”

“Well…” he said, “Maybe I am.  Maybe I’m making a joke.  But what if I could?  Suppose I managed to do it; win you over, as me, without you realizing who I was?  What then.”

“Then you’d have somehow managed to overpower my feelings for a boy I’ve liked for over a year.”

“And?”

She shook her head, annoyed even to _his_ eyes.

“And what?  You’re talking like you’ve got some kind of master plan!  What do you want me to say?  ‘ _If you can do it, go ahead?’_   Fine!  If you can do it, go ahead!  If it turns out that your supposed ‘raw animal magnetism,’ or whatever you call it, somehow works on me when you’re _not_ being Chat Noir, then you go right ahead and use it; make me forget completely about my original feelings, and do it without me realizing that it’s you!  You might as well ask me whether I’d let you go have tea with Hawkmoth!  It’s not going to happen no matter _what_ I say!”

“Okay,” he said, quietly.

Marinette inhaled, and slowly, breathed out.

“Okay,” she said.  “I… Sorry, Chat Noir, I know this can’t be pleasant for you, and… I might have overreacted a little, but… I meant what I said.”

“I know.”  He sighed.  “It’s kind of a paradox, though, isn’t it?”

“What is?”

He shrugged.  “I don’t think I could have done anything _without_ asking you, or it’d have just felt… wrong, somehow.  Like I was lying to you.”

She sighed.  “I know what you mean.”

“But!  Now that I _have_ asked, you’re watching for me.  Doesn’t seem like there’s any way around that, does there?”

She laughed, gently.  “Not unless…  I mean, if you really _could_ have me swooning before I was even able to think about it…”  She shook her head, “Even then, later, when I’d have time to think about it…

“Well…  You let me know if you figure out any way around it, right?”

She snorted.  “Right.  If I figure out some way to fool myself, you’ll be the first person to know.”

“You make sure of it.  If _I_ have a way… You’ll be the second person to know.  Maybe after we defeat Hawkmoth.”

…

He stayed there, for a while, just talking.  Of course, it was late, and they both should have gone to bed, but Chat Noir couldn’t have slept anyway.

He hated seeing her actually _bothered,_ like she had been when she’d said it, but he couldn’t blame her, of course; if _he_ hadn’t had the whole picture, he’d have thought what he was describing was impossible.  But the fact that she really _didn’t_ have the whole picture was what he was relying on.

Of course, if he’d been able to ask in a way that she wouldn’t have minded… But it was too late now.

Too late to ask that was… He’d been right, though, before.  This _would_ be a long night, because as he’d managed to process what she’d said, it had felt like a shining light had started bubbling in his stomach…

That light was going to make it almost impossible to sleep; he could only hope that it he’d still feel the same vigor in the morning.

He’d need his mental faculties if he was going to make the impossible come true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clearance acquired, mission ready to start.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette tries to stay safe, with excellent results.  
> Adrien revises his plans to take advantage of an unexpected windfall.

To her own surprise, Marinette had slept well.

Maybe something in her body had decided she needed the rest.  Maybe she was still exhausted from… The day _before_ yesterday, now.

Whatever the case, the bit of her mind that usually kept pinging her well after she was already in bed had taken the night off.

And now…

And now _what?_

 _Now_ she was stuck with what felt like a hammer waiting to fall.

Now, _part_ of the problem was that Chat Noir was _probably_ joking, like he’d said.  By all rights, he had no options, and no possible way to pull off his supposed plan without her spotting him a mile away.  All she’d have to do was notice someone new trying to talk to her, and there he’d be.  She couldn’t _forget_ he _might_ be planning it, since that wasn’t… how memories worked.

Another part was that she couldn’t _avoid_ this by figuring out who he was before he tried something; that would be the _opposite_ of a solution. Her only chance was to try putting the whole thing from her mind, which, to her dismay, would be giving _him_ the best chance of pulling off whatever plan he _might_ be planning.

And as for Chat Noir himself, she couldn’t blame him for his curiosity, but he was right; it was a paradox.

If he didn’t ask, his ‘gentlemanliness,’ which, to his credit, though the flirting belied, he _did_ have some notable measure of, would stop him asking.  And if he _did_ ask, then his concern for his identity, or _her_ concern, at least, would stop him.

She _hoped_ it would stop him.

_Please, Chat Noir, just once, accept that you’re not as sneaky as you think._

She kept her eyes resolutely forward, internally trying not to look out the windows to the hallway where Chat Noir might be.

This, of course, had the side-effect of meaning that she was largely staring at Adrien, which was hardly a loss, especially after…

She’d wondered, once she’d regained a bit of her composure, whether he’d done it intentionally, but the memories of that half-minute were like an overexposed photo, the edges visible, but the details largely blank, and unreadable.

Part of her wondered whether it was intentional, even wished that it _had_ been.  The rest of her, though, knew better; Adrien was _always_ a ray of sunshine, and considering he’d compared her to Ladybug in front of everyone, and that he made no secret of his admiration _towards_ Ladybug, well, she couldn’t deny that he liked her…  Y’know, like, not _that_ kind of liked her, but liked her?

 _Why was she clarifying this? It was inside her own head, of_ course _she knew what she meant._

Anyway.  Adrien was, like she was saying, a ray of sunshine who liked most people, and didn’t make any secret about it.  Really, it was more on _her_ side if she was driven to distraction by it.

So, she deftly resisted the urge to reach out and touch his hair, model-soft and gleaming as it surely was, and instead, tried to focus more on the classes.

It was surprisingly easy, although her ‘mission for the day’ being much less… _dangerous_ had to help.

Don’t watch for Chat Noir potentially watching her, don’t do anything stupid with Adrien, and…

To her surprise, the day passed almost normally.  She actually wrote down _notes_ for her classes, and even during lunch, which had unnerved her as a prospect, since that was the time when Chat Noir might theoretically have come after her, passed without issue.  She ate with Alya and Nino in the park (Adrien couldn’t make it, unfortunately) and once Alya had gotten a few questions about Chat Noir out of her system, the time passed peacefully.  Nino was pretty sure he’d found a new event to DJ for.

In short, by the end of the school day, Marinette was pretty sure that her life had returned to normal, considering nothing out of the ordinary had happened the whole time.

 _Well,_ she thought, packing away her supplies as the final class of the day ended, _that was fine by her._

“So, you’ll be done by 7-ish?” she said.

Alya laughed, giving a Nino a questioning look.  He shrugged, grinning.  “Assuming Nino hasn’t gone above and beyond _again_ ,” she said.  “Actually, I wanted to ask you about that.  Upsides of Fridays, I could actually just come over to your house afterwards.”

“I’ll make sure the awful movies’ pile is stocked,” said Marinette, laughing.

“Sounds good to me!”

And they were up, and off.

Marinette waited a second to give them a bit more space, and then stood up.

“You know, I’m honestly kind of surprised they’re having _another_ date night after their anniversary thing,” said Adrien.

\--

Marinette shrugged.  “Every Friday.”

“No, no, I get that,” he said, standing, to match her, “I just would have expected the anniversary to go overtop of this one, instead of adding to it.  They really do love each other’s company.”

“And each other,” said Marinette, smiling.

“Yeah…” he said, “that’s actually why I would have felt bad inviting them out today.”

_He had to be the luckiest person in the city.  Things had timed perfectly._

“Inviting them out?” said Marinette, turning, giving him a quizzical look.

“Well, I was asking Nathalie if she’d mind me spending some time with my friends, because… Well, you know how my schedule is so busy?” he said, meandering aimlessly towards the locker room.

“I…” the sound stretched in a way that wasn’t _quite_ a stutter, “Yeah!”

“Well, I have one event on every other Friday, and one that happens once a month, _between_ two of those Fridays, and usually, Nathalie finds something to fill the last one.”

“Mhm,” said Marinette, following him.

“But apparently, she forgot this time, or couldn’t think of anything, so I figured, I might as well ask.”

“Oh.”

 _He’d expected to need to find some way to finagle things in during the school day.  He’d already been working on a plan when he’d gotten home, but_ this… _This was_ so _much better._

“And, well, you know the rest.  She said I could do it, as long as…”

He looked from side to side, then slid himself a little bit closer, though careful to not actually touch her.  “Can you keep a secret, Marinette?” he said, just above a whisper.

The blush was surprisingly faint, and he found himself just a little bit proud of her resilience.  “Y- Yes?”

He winked, and pulled back, retrieving from his bag-

“So can this hat,” he said, fitting the cap neatly onto his head.

She blinked at him.

“It’s to stop people recognizing me so quickly.”

“Ah,” she said, eyes widening.

“Yeah… I figured it was a bit less eyecatching than a motorcycle helmet,” he said, smiling.

\--

“Right,” she said.  “So… Should I go incognito too?”

“Ah,” he said laughing almost nervously, scratching at the back of his neck— _How did he manage to make laughing so cute? –_ “I didn’t actually consider that.  I guess if there’s one other person that might tip people off to me…  do the tabloids still think we’re together?”

“Yes!” she said, and then- “I mean, no!?  I… I don’t read them.”  _Mostly true, except for the fact that she’d skimmed them for a few months afterwards to see if they still thought they_ were _together.  Last she’d seen, they’d been unsure, simply due to a lack of evidence._

“Hm…  So, we don’t know, then…” he said, seemingly taking her last answer as the one she meant.

“Well,” she said, “As long as they don’t recognize _you…_ I mean, it’s not like _I’m_ a celebrity.  I walk around all the time, and nobody tries to take pictures, so I mean…”

“Their loss,” said Adrien, laughing, and before she’d even had a chance to realize what he meant, “still, that should at least mean that between the two of us, we’ll go basically unnoticed, right?”

“I- Right!” she managed, as ‘their loss’ slowly filtered into her brain.

“Alright,” he said, smiling, “now… The one problem is that I don’t actually know where you _go_ when you can go _anywhere_ in Paris.”

“Right…” she said, trying to recover her mental state.  “Well… I guess there’s always the park by my house, but… I guess you do photoshoots there pretty often, so that’s probably not the best idea…”

“Oh!  And, if it helps,” said Adrien, reaching into his back pocket, “I wanted to make sure I wasn’t making you spend a bunch of money, so…”  He shrugged, producing a small roll of bills.  “This… I mean, I’m pretty sure this should… handle things?”

Marinette blinked.

“Yeah.  That should… That should do it.”

 _In all honesty, that would have covered whatever she wanted to do unless she was_ actively _trying to spend it all._

“Alright,” he said, grinning, “then lead the way, Marinette.”

\--

Now, in fairness, he hadn’t gone for the ‘sweep her off her feet’ approach that he’d been contemplating last night.

In equal fairness, he had much more time to work with now.  He’d turned on the tracking function on his phone, which, on the one hand, meant that no matter where they went, the car would be there by 6:30, but on the other, meant that he didn’t have his bodyguard tailing him for the next few hours.

He was almost sad; he’d been kind of excited at the idea of pulling off another maneuver like he’d done yesterday, but…  Well, what could he say?  He was already perfectly happy to talk to her idly; considering how long he worked with her as Ladybug, and the times he’d visited her as Chat Noir, it felt like there was a lot he didn’t know about her.

“They make good coffee, but the buns aren’t very good,” she said, continuing an ongoing explanation of one of the places she was considering they go.

He laughed.  “C’mon Marinette, you’ve already listed like 5 places; aren’t we going to be walking more than we’ll be sitting?”

She turned, and, looked abashed.  “Ah, sorry.  I just… There’s so much to see, and you’ve only got a few hours.”

He couldn’t keep the smile in, and barely even thought about it as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

//

_“Listen,” he says, “you don’t have to show me everything today.  You can show me some more next time I find some free time.”_

_“Ah,” she says, and he feels the bubbling warmth, mixed with.. “Well… I… I suppose you’re right, but you’re always so busy,” and he feels something like a milder, less consuming version of what he feels when he’s alone at dinner._

_He frantically fights the urge to pull her into a hug._

Use your words, Agreste.

_“I know,” he says.  “Trust me, I’d love to spend more time with you…” He clears his throat, “And, y’know, Nino, and Alya.  But, someday, I’m sure I’ll be able to make my own schedule, and trust me, I’ll be able to see you guys way more often.”_

_“I…  I hope so,” she says, eyes meeting his.  For a moment, the nerves fade out, and he can almost imagine that his empathy doesn’t exist, because all he feels from her is what he himself feels._

_Then, the spell breaks, and her eyes widen.  “Well,” she says, giggling nervously, “I suppose that- that- that that’s not yet, though.”_

_He pulls away._

//

“Right!” he said, nodding.  “We’re burning daylight here.”

“I… I guess we are,” she said, smiling back.

Good.  As much as he loved seeing her flustered, that smile was to die for.

“Well, I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again,” he said, adjusting the cap, “ _lead the way, Marinette.”_


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien have a nice long talk.  
> Alya pokes around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also the chapter where Adrien gets to act out a romantic cliché.

Now that the odds of Chat Noir appearing had dropped to negligible levels, her mind had stopped trying to find him, and she didn’t have to put as much energy towards not noticing his potential presence.

Instead her ‘don’t even think about it’ circuits were all wired towards _not_ considering the possibility of this being a date.

After all, if it was a date, he wouldn’t have tried inviting Alya and Nino along…

Alya and Nino, who, in a strange coincidence, _were_ on a date…

It could easily have been a double date, if that had been what he was angling for…

Right.  Yeah.

Adrien just hadn’t had the chance to see Paris up close, so of _course_ he’d asked her to show him around, with the one scrap of personal time he’d managed to gather for himself…  Of _course_ he’d wanted to see Paris; it was _beautiful_ this time of year.  Of course, he seemed just as eager to talk to her as he was to look around at the sights, but that was probably just because he was talking to her, and didn’t want to lose track of her.

They slipped into a little café that, for a very limited selection of goods, _might_ have been _slightly_ better than what her family made at home.

He gave her a quizzical look as she tapped an item the menu.

“You know, Marinette, I would have thought that if your tour of Paris would include the baked goods, we’d be going back to your house.”

“Ah-“ she said, the sound slightly strangled at the easy way he’d said ‘back to your house.’  “Well, I’ll admit that, for most things, we’ve got them beat, but every so often, Papa comes home with one of their croissants, and,” she laughed, “he always looks so mad.”

“No kidding?  Well, if they make them better than your father can, then they’ve got to be something special.”

She laughed.  “I guess I kind of forgot you’d be familiar.”

“Oh, trust me,” he said, grinning, “I know what your parents are capable of, and I’m a _big_ fan of their work.”

She laughed.  “Well-

Her eyes flickered to him, sitting there utterly guileless.  Surely that hadn’t been…  He hadn’t meant…

She cleared her throat, a bit gracelessly.

“I mean, we _were_ on ‘Fill My Shoes,’ so, I guess that’s a pretty popular opinion.”

“I _saw_ that episode!” he said, excitedly, and then- “Ah, but, I suppose, you already know that.”

“I think we talked about it, yes.”

“That’s… Well, that’s actually the reason I thought you might be interested in coming to one of my shoots…” he said, idly scratching the back of his neck.  He blinked, and looked back at her, smiling again.  “That’s a standing invitation, by the way!”

Marinette thanked her lucky stars that he’d said that _now,_ rather than a few months ago, because at least _now_ she only blushed a little.

A waiter arrived.

They placed their orders.

…

As the waiter left, Marinette chuckled ruefully.

“So, when you say it’s a standing invitation, is that actually something you can do?  I… Well, it would kind of surprise me.”

“Yeah…  Well, if it was Nino, probably not, and I doubt I could for Alya either, but I bet I could for you.”

“Ah- Oh?  Wh- what do you mean?”

He laughed.  “C’mon Marinette, that should be obvious!  If _Audrey Bourgeois_ can’t find anything to criticize in one of your designs, which I _guarantee_ Nathalie told him about, he’d be a fool if he _didn’t_ want to earn your respect.”

She made a faint, almost strangled noise.  “Earn… _My_ respect.”

“Mhm!  I’m not exactly the most knowledgeable about the fashion industry, but I’m pretty sure you could _already_ get a job as a designer.  Plus, if he _did_ get you designing for him, you’d probably be working with me, which is a win _anyway,_ since you already know me!  Seriously, just about any other designer would have used a real feather for the hat, and I’d have been sneezing during the shoot, and once there’s a picture of you sneezing, there’s _no_ way to go back from it.”

 _Right.  Right, that was why it was an upside_ , thought Marinette, taking a sip of her coffee, which had just arrived _.  Just because she knew him, and not because-_

“And you certainly wouldn’t catch _me_ complaining.”

She almost choked on her coffee.

\--

“Ah, Marinette, are you okay?” he said, the concern coming without conscious thought.

“Fine!  I’m fine,” she said, clearing her throat.

“Oh.  Okay,” he said, relaxing back into his seat.

He hadn’t meant to make her choke.

Frankly, he hadn’t even meant to do… Well, _anything._

The problem was that it was so easy to compliment her.

Yes, he’d had practice with cheesy pickup lines on Ladybug, but with Marinette, who he really _knew,_ in a personal sense, he didn’t have to wax poetic.  All he had to do was tell the truth.

And yet…

‘The truth,’ should have been so easy.  He’d professed his love of Ladybug dozens of times over the past few years, but sitting here, across from Marinette, he suddenly got the feeling he understood how she’d felt since… Well, since whenever she’d started liking him.

He _knew_ that she liked him; it made him _dizzy_ to think about it, but he _knew_ that.  Yet, for _some_ reason, right now, for this same girl, who he was so close to, he just couldn’t find the words.

He bit into his croissant, which had finally arrived.

It was delicious.

A croissant in one hand, a cup of tea in the other, Adrien nonetheless got the feeling that if he put both down, he’d still have his hands full.

He realized that while he was trying frantically to find a way to do what Marinette hadn’t managed in over a year in one day, the few precious moments he had alone with her were slowly draining away.

“It’s been a while since the last time I was here,” she said, looking out the window.

“Oh?”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Beautiful…  Yeah.”

He blinked, and remembered that she was talking about the scenery.

 _Focus,_ _Agreste._

He looked out the window, and…

Truly, a beautiful day.

\--

When Marinette hadn’t responded to any of Alya’s texts, it hadn’t been particularly surprising; Marinette had a penchant for focusing in on a project with laser intensity, and being utterly unaware of the rest of the world.  If not that, there was every chance she was taking a nap, since she always seemed to be tired.

There was, of course, the chance that her home had been the target of an Akuma attack, but if Alya ran to _every_ place that someone wasn’t responding on the basis that it might be an Akuma attack, she’d have the strongest legs in Paris…

Actually, if she was honest, that didn’t sound too bad.

Alya Cesaire, whose legs never needed to rest…

She laughed at the idea, as the bell above the bakery’s door rang.

Marinette’s mother gave her a cheery smile, and simply nodded.

She nodded back.  Doubtless she’d been expecting her.

As she walked up the steps, she wondered vaguely at something in the expression.  Amusement?

One more set of stairs, and-

“Marinette?” she said, knocking gently.

Nothing.

“Marinette?” she repeated, brow furrowing slightly.

No response, unless it be a faint groan, on the edge of hearing.

She shrugged, and pushed through.

“Oh,” she said, barely even thinking about it.

Judging by Marinette’s posture, her mother had been feeling approximately the same mild amusement at the sight of Marinette…  What was the word?  Floored by something.  At a guess, it was Adrien-based, but, considering recent events, Chat Noir wasn’t out of the picture.

And, when she said ‘Marinette’s posture’ what she really meant was…

Marinette was face down on the chaise, body entirely limp.  That _could_ have meant that she was asleep…  Theoretically.

Alya knew better.

Now, what she _wanted_ to do was start with the questions immediately, because Marinette had been growing steadily more resilient to this kind of mood, and whatever had done it would have to have been something _interesting._

But… She needed to make sure Marinette was okay first.

For that… Well, she’d probably need to rein things in at first.

“Marinette?” she said, stepping softly closer.

“ _Mmm…”_ came Marinette’s voice.

She sighed, lightly, sitting down on the chaise, next to her.

“Something happened?”

“Mm.”

“Good or bad?”  She placed a hand on Marinette’s back, scratching lightly, in what she was pretty sure was a comforting gesture.

“Mmmmm…”

“Okay, then… Good?”

“Hmm…”

“Okay.  _Just_ good?”

“…”

“Okay…?  Bad?”

“Mm mm.”

“Okay.  So, that’s good then, right?”

“ _MMmmm…”_   The sound came out a bit more urgently.

“Did you…  Was this a while ago?”

“Mm mm.”

“Okay…  So, recently, then…  And… Usually you only get this way about Adrien.”

The was a shift at the name.

“It wasn’t anything about Luka, right?”

She managed a weak shake of her head.

“Or Chat Noir?”

“Mm?”

“Figured I’d ask.”

“Mm.”

“So…  Something about Adrien, then…  But, recently, so not in person…”

“ _Hhrm…”_

She blinked.  “Wait.  In person?”

“Mm.”

“How?  No, wait, _what?_ Or…”  She shook her head.  “Did you… go on a date with him?”

_“Nn- Uh- Hmm…”_

“That’s not a no…” said Alya, trying to suppress the rising excitement.  Marinette _didn’t_ need that level of energy right now.

“But… Not a yes, either.”

“Hmm…” Marinette’s head turned, and Alya could see her face for the first time.

The expression was one Alya didn’t know, and she wished she could look straight into Marinette’s heart to have some chance to untangle it, but of course… That wasn’t anything she was capable of.

“Girl?”

Marinette offered the weakest giggle she’d ever heard.

She groaned, bringing her hands up, rubbing at her face.  “ _Marinette_ , this suspense is going to _kill_ me! You didn’t _not_ go on a date with Adrien?  But also, you didn’t _yes_ do it?”

_“I showed him around the city.”_

Alya’s eyes scrunched shut, as she made the face of one who has just sampled a rare delicacy.

“ _You have no idea how much I want to know more.”_

Marinette giggled, a bit stronger, and heaved a long, slow sigh.

Then, with all the deliberation of an island rising from the ocean, she sat up, and-

Alya blinked, as her best friends arms wrapped around her, managing a crushing force that someone in Marinette’s compromised mental state shouldn’t have been able to pull off.

She let out a mild groan.  “ _Marinette since when-_

_“He said he’d miss me until he got to see me again.”_

She froze.

“Marinette…  So.  Let me get this straight.  You, and _Adrien Agreste,_ walked around Paris, taking in the sights, and when he had to leave you, he said he would ‘miss you until the next time he got to see you?’”

Without thinking about it, her hands had managed to find their way to Marinette’s cheeks, which were bright red, and _very_ warm.

“And… He hugged me.”

Alya grinned, head falling back slightly.

“You know what that sounds like to me?”

Marinette let out a slightly disbelieving laugh, and her crushing grasp managed to tighten slightly.

“To me,” said Alya, planting a kiss on her best friend’s forehead, “That sounds like a boy with a crush.  A _big_ one.”

Marinette’s laughter didn’t even seem to make any sound, eyes filled with the joyous confusion of someone who’s pretty sure they’re missing something, but doesn’t want to question it.

“Now, if you could _stop_ breaking my ribs, I need to hear the full story, possibly with a terrible movie playing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately we're not going to see Marinette explain things, because we've already seen it in person, but suffice to say, Alya is going to be consumed by secondhand warm fuzzy feelings, and a mighty joy on her friend's behalf.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Among other things, Adrien gets a crash course in the value of honesty, and faces off against a particularly devastating villain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to rewrite the start of this chapter like, four times, before I actually felt like I could keep going, which kind of bogged me down. Still, I made it in the end.

“You’re distracted.”

He blinked, as he managed to parry once, twice, and… Not a third time.

“I—" he said, “ah…”

“Why?”

He tried to find some usable explanation as he reset his stance.

“I’m serious,” said Kagami, pulling off her helmet, to his surprise, “Why?”

He didn’t react, still grasping for an appropriate reaction.

“Neither of us is going to gain anything from this if you’re distracted and I’m not being challenged,” she said, evidently by way of explanation.

He pulled off his helmet as well, but…  “Sorry,” he said.

She didn’t say anything for a moment.

“Alright then.  _Who?_ ”

He looked up at her, eyes a bit wider than he’d meant them to be.

//

_Who?_

_He hadn’t been lying; he really had started missing her as soon as he’d walked away from her, and the rush of emotion, only partly hers, as he’d wrapped his arms around her for a moment had only cemented that._

_If he’d managed to say what he’d really meant, or at least something more concrete, maybe it wouldn’t bother him so much, but…_

_He hasn’t been able to justify going back as Chat Noir.  Not last night, and maybe not this one, either.  Maybe… Maybe he’ll just have to wait until Monday._

_The idea isn’t exactly pleasant._

//

 “Is this about Marinette?”

He looked sharply at her, even as the world seemed to go fuzzy for a second with the burning in his face.

Kagami’s expression was even, but it was obvious she knew she was right.

As unexpressive as if she’d left her helmet on, she considered him.  “I have no reason to keep sparring you right now.  You may as well sit down.”

He nodded, unable to keep the embarrassment out of his face.  For all he would never have given up his feelings towards Marinette, this wasn’t fair to Kagami.  From what little he knew, her schedule was almost as restrictive as his, and she didn’t deserve to have him derailing her in the middle of something, and that was even _without_ considering the fact that, well…

\--

“So?” she said, “What happened?”

His face was bright red, he seemed on the verge of refusing to answer, and then…

“I…” he sighed, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For… Interrupting our sparring for… Nothing, really.”

“If it was nothing, you wouldn’t have done it.  Tell the truth.”

“I…  I…”  His eyes closed.  “I didn’t realize how much I liked Marinette.”

“And?”

“And…  I had some free time yesterday, and she showed me around the city…”

“A date?”  It was more a matter of confirmation than anything else.

He inhaled, and… shook his head.  “Not… really.”

She pursed her lips.  “Did you want it to be?”

There was a long moment, and… He nodded.

It hurt.  A sharp, twisting sensation in the pit of her stomach, and then…  She opened her eyes. “Then you should have made it one.”

He sat up, and looked at her.

“You don’t like it that you didn’t tell the truth.  The only way to avoid it is to get over yourself, and do it.”

His face was turning red.  “I…  I…  I was, well, that’s part of it, but…  I realized, well, _afterwards,_ that I hadn’t told you, and…  Well…”

“You’re mistaken if you think I’ll let myself break down again.  Once was enough.  Twice was disgraceful.”

“You’re… Okay?”  He let out a sigh of what seemed to be relief.

“I will be.”

He sighed, expression showing, what, secondhand pain on her behalf?  Confusion?  “You’re way stronger than me, Kagami.”

“I know,” she said, expression still even.

She did.  And, if nothing else…

She’d half expected Adrien to finally come to terms with how he felt about Marinette since the day they’d gone skating, even if she hadn’t fully understood what _exactly_ he found so admirable about Marinette.  Yes, she was talented, and dedicated to helping people but…

Kagami had heard the recording, just as everyone else had, and, despite herself, she’d been impressed.  There was a certain raw strength of character that Marinette had shown, and there was no denying it was admirable.

The first time she’d been akumatized, it was a loss that, in her bones, she’d known she hadn’t deserved.

The second time, it had been Adrien’s heart, seemingly pilfered by a dirty thief in the night.

This?  She’d seen it coming, and if she’d… _lost,_ it was to someone as good as she was.  There was no shame in that.

_There was no shame in that._

She took a deep breath, and her exhale barely shuddered.

\--

“I’ll tell you exactly what I told Marinette,” said Kagami, standing.  “I never hesitate.”

As she turned away, Adrien, unthinking, reached out a hand, and caught her shoulder.

//

_“Are you… Sure?” he says.  “I mean… I know there’s nothing I can do to make this… Not something you have to face, but are you sure you’re okay?”_

_He can feel the burning, prickling through her; sadness, pain, anger, but…  They call her the ice queen, but they’re wrong.  Kagami isn’t cold.  She isn’t made of ice._

_She’s more like iron._

_She turns, looking over her shoulder._

_“I told you,” she says, “I will be.  Are you doubting me?”_

_He isn’t._

//

He pulled his hand away, embarrassed at the impulse.

“No,” and, as she walked away, “I’m sorry.”

“I know you are.”

She put her helmet on again, and picked up her foil.

“Now, as soon as you’re ready to continue, I’ll be practicing.”

He nodded, feeling somehow…  Well, maybe it was that Kagami had a zero-tolerance policy towards moping, which, in fairness, he _had_ been doing a bit of.

Well, suffice to say he was feeling much more alive now.

He’d finish things next time he saw Marinette, and in the meantime, he’d get back on his feet, and stop wasting Kagami’s time.

He took one breath, two breaths, and… with a third, he was-

-falling back, just as quickly as he’d tried to stand, over the back of the bench.

He blinked, looking over at Kagami, who had clearly felt what had _apparently_ been an earthquake.

Except, of course, France wasn’t exactly _known_ for its earthquakes.

He tried to scramble to his feet, as another thunderous impact shook the building.

It felt closer.

They looked at each other, and he just caught the glance at the rack, and he nodded, grabbing a sabre, which, if nothing else, should at least be a _bit_ less useless for actual combat.

_Maybe he should just transform now, or-_

He threw one to her, which she caught ably.

Another thunderous blast, and this time he caught the sound of falling rubble.

Whatever was coming, it was close, and it was getting _closer._

So, he needed to do something, and he needed to do it _now._

_No hesitation, Agreste, no getting caught untransformed._

“We need to split up, _now,”_ he said.

She looked sharply at him, then in the direction the still-echoing sound had come from, and back at him.

“Fine,” she said, and jerked her head one way, making to go the other.

One more blast, almost upon them, and he cleared the room.

A quick look around, and-

_“Plagg?  Claws out!”_

\--

Hawkmoth couldn’t hold back a grin.

Collateral damage had two useful applications.

The first, of course, was attention.  Ladybug and Chat Noir could hardly _miss_ Destruction Worker’s trail of, well… Destruction.  That meant no boring waiting around for them to notice it.

The second, meanwhile, was _like_ the first, but distinct; collateral damage meant that _one_ of them at least had to make sure that nearby civilians were safe.  Yes, of course, he didn’t technically _enjoy_ putting bystanders into harm’s way, but, in a roundabout way, he _trusted_ Ladybug and Chat Noir to avoid putting unnecessary deaths on his conscience, which, in truth, _would_ have bothered him.

So, one construction worker, and a strong dose of disrespect for public workers, and he was cooking with fury.

See how _she_ liked it when the roads, bridges, subways, and… Well, suffice to say, _many_ structures she depended on daily, were torn to pieces.  And if Destruction Worker got a little carried away, and started in on some of the less public buildings, well, she’d disrespected builders as a whole, and who was to have built, for example, her _home,_ if not the very people she had called uncivilized, brutish, and lacking in any sense of aesthetics.  It was no trouble for him, since it would just be one more place Ladybug and Chat Noir would have to split their attention toward.

Speaking of which…

He flicked his fingers, and a screen switched on.

Oh yes, this was good.

Ladybug was on the scene, already rescuing people, as any good hero should.

And Chat Noir…

\--

It was like the path of a tornado; buildings shredded in its wake, carving a clear path through the city.

From his perch at the top of his staff, he could see it curl through part of a residential district, and back towards the river.

The earth rumbled again, and if he’d meant to keep his balance, he might have been in trouble.

But he hadn’t meant to.

Slowly, ponderously, he swung downwards.

One good yank on the staff as he was getting close to the ground, and…

He came down lightly, just next to a bridge.

The civilians in the area, some on foot, some logjammed in their cars, most checking their phones in the hopes of getting advance warning, all looked up as he dropped to the ground in front of them

Well, advance warning had arrived.

“Nothing to see here, folks,” he said, “just an angry supervillain on the way.  Probably time to head home.”

The sentence was punctuated by a thunderous slam, and people started running.

“That goes double for those of you in cars!” he shouted, “whatever’s coming, it hits _hard!”_

Aaand...  Good.

Well, that would keep people out of harm’s way, at least, and any second now…

Another slam, and the building in front of him seemed to fracture.

He silently stepped behind one of the parked cars.

“So, give it one, two-

He ducked lightly, as bricks and glass exploded outwards.

Then, with the casual grace he always tried to bring to his work, he stepped out, and for the first time, laid eyes on his new enemy.

“Well,” he said, “You’re big.”

Neon safety jacket, bare arms, bulging muscles, and a stature that almost matched with Stoneheart gave Chat Noir some idea of what he was up against.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he said, “I’m Chat Noir, and I’ll be your superhero for today.”

The guy, the big one, cracked his neck.

“And you are…?”

“Destruction Worker.”

He laughed.  “I should have guessed.  And… You’re here to smash things, I assume?”

Destruction Worker snorted, bringing up the hammer in his hand, which, on closer inspection, was less _in_ his hand, and more _part_ of his hand.

“Yeah… Among other things.”

He laughed, backing away slightly.  “Right.  Taking Miraculouses.  Um, separate note, but I don’t suppose you remember seeing a butterfly, just before you got all big and hammer-y, do you?”

“As a matter of fact—” A shadow crossed his face.  “Don’t see why I should tell _you_ about it if I did.”

“Yeah…  Didn’t think that’d work, but you can’t blame a cat for trying.”

Destruction worker laughed again, and stepped forward.

Right.  Okay.  So, he, was here, and Ladybug… Nowhere to be found.

That was a bad start to a fight.

Another step forward, which he matched with a step back, and with an almost absent-minded swing, Destruction Worker _smashed_ a car.

Really, was he surprised that the hammer hit harder than it was supposed to?  One man, even one so large, couldn’t have left a trail of destruction like that without some kind of miraculous help.

“I don’t suppose we can talk this out,” he said, but the hammer was already coming down again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In unrelated news: 10,000 hits, which is a new record.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir tries to take on a villain by himself.  
> Ladybug experiences some significant emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guarantee this thing is riddled with typos because I finished writing it at 4AM, but listen, it is written, and I will not deny the People the chapter that at least *some* of them desire.  
> I may be a little out of it.

By the time he realized the shockwave would be an issue, it had already hit him.

He bounced up into the air, landing on top of another car.

He swallowed, a trifle nervously, at the network of cracks that had spread where the hammer landed.

Concrete was, by and large, tougher than he was, and Destruction Worker had clearly been designed to shatter the stuff.

One hit…

He tried to keep the image out of his head.

“Hmm…” he said, forcing a grin, “bit of a temper on you.  I don’t suppose you’ve tried therapy?”

This time he remembered to jump, landing on another car, as the one he’d been on was almost cartoonishly smashed.

“I’ve heard yoga helps?”

Another jump, now truly onto the bridge.

“If it comes down to it, you can always take up some kind of fighting?”

Another jump.

“I mean, the kind of fighting that doesn’t involve working for a maniacal-

He’d expected another busted car, but instead what he’d gotten was an explosion of concrete.

He dove away, landing on the bridge, just in time to see…

A network of cracks split beneath his fingers even as he looked, sending up a small puff of dust.

 

He blinked.

The ground underneath him gave way, concrete turning to gravel, and he was falling.

Of course, there was nothing stopping him from just swimming to safety, but-

He flicked out his staff, and managed to catch it in the bridge’s iron beams.

He wanted to survey the terrain, but the dust was thick in the air, and there was no telling whether the villain would be coming for him.

He pulled, and sprang back up.

_Careful, careful, and-_

He landed lightly.

Now…

He tried to blink away the dust, with little success.

The concrete was gone, but most of the cars were still here, supported by the bridge’s iron skeleton.

Good.  Maybe Destruction worker had stopped him jumping from car to car for a moment, but now the dust was up, and if it was a matter of one of them getting the drop on the other-

He barely registered the sudden darkness, diving away on instinct.

The bit of ground he’d meant to land on was suddenly a few feet _lower_ than he’d wanted it to be, and as he caught on it, it kept sagging.

He scrambled, claws scratching at the bare metal, giving him just enough progress to-

He didn’t know what sense had told him to leap; all he knew was that as he was no longer touching the sagging support, there was the awful sound of twisting metal, and where there had been a beam, there wasn’t one anymore.

He made it to a part of the bridge that hadn’t been affected so much by whatever had just happened, vaulting up and over in a flip.

Rolling, he came up to his feet with barely the time to register something flying at him.

He managed to pull back enough that though he felt the wind on his face, the thing, whatever it was, passed by him; _swung_ by him.

The dust was still choking and bitter, but he knew what he’d seen.

Because _that_ was a wrecking ball that had just knocked the remains of a streetlamp into the river below.

The ball practically _zipped_ back, following the chain it was attached to, and-

 _Slammed_ into Destruction Worker’s hand, with a force that staggered even him.

“I’ve got to ask,” he called out, hoping that Ladybug would arrive soon, “does it transform, or do you have to unscrew the hammer and attach the chain somewhere?”

Destruction Worker, figure a little fuzzy from the dust, halted for a bare instant, before _apparently_ deciding that the correct response was to grab another one of the lamps that had managed to avoid falling off, and throw it at him.

He dodged ably to the side, but-

He sighed.  “Why can you _all_ jump so far?”

The arm came down, this time the hammer, where he’d been an instant before.

For an instant, he didn’t understand the comparatively weak strike but-

 _Oh.  No, that actually_ wasn’t _a good thing._

A stronger strike would have collapsed the beam, and sent Destruction Worker into the river.

“So, I guess you took a seminar on construction safety, right?”

He narrowly avoided another swing.

“Or, would it be the demolitions version of the same course?”

 _He needed to know where the Akuma was.  He could stall for a while, but if he wanted a chance to_ win _, even if he needed to wait for Ladybug, he needed to know._

_The weapon shifted too often to be the target._

He dropped under a swing of the ball.

_And he didn’t really have that much else on him._

He rolled, leaping horizontally, as it came down where he’d been.

He looked, but, it seemed it was too much to hope that Destruction Worker would make some simple mistake like that.

_Stoneheart had seemed like that at first, but it had been in his fist.  Destruction worker…_

As if on cue, he opened his other hand, and, unfortunately, nothing.

_That was good.  That was another option eliminated._

He reached down, and with barely an effort, grabbed a cable which until recently had run _through_ the bridge.

Chat Noir realized what was coming an instant too late

The cable whipped him off his feet, practically _slashing_ him across the face with its raw power.

Dazed, he managed to make out the wrecking ball coming down, and he rolled.

_Not the hand.  The helmet?  The vest?  Maybe-_

There was a thud, and not the metallic one that had accompanied the wrecking ball; this was the sound of someone landing.

He leaped up to his feet, already spinning around to face-

The hand _slammed_ into him, massive fingers wrapping around him with the inevitable force of a vise.

He gasped, and struggled to breathe, the effort drawing a strangled wheeze from his lungs.

//

_As his vision focuses, he’s face to face with Destruction Worker._

_“Hey,” he manages, before having to gasp another breath in._

_Destruction Worker chuckles, slightly._

_The amusement is genuine, but there’s something more unnerving; the negative emotions, disturbingly close to what he felt from Kagami earlier, seem crystalized, frozen in place._

_“So, um—“ he forces a breath, and squirms slightly, as he feels something malevolent burning underneath.  It has to be Hawkmoth’s influence._

_He rallies, managing something approximating his normal cockiness. “How are you going to get my ring?  I mean…  I… It’s kind of inside your hand already, so, I guess that’s mission accomplished?”_

_His brow furrows, and Chat Noir recognizes the sensation of someone rapidly trying to solve an issue._

_“I mean,” he manages to laugh, even if a bit less freely than usual, “Gorizilla had a similar issue.  It’s not like you can just halfway let me go.  It’s kind of an all-or-nothing deal, and I’m just imagining the idea of you trying to knock me out with a hammer at this angle.  You’re going to hit your own thumb, and that’s not fun for anyone.”_

_Destruction Worker gives him a considering look, and his heart drops as he feels the thinking resolve into something concrete._

_“I’ve got a better idea,” he says, finally._

_He pulls up his other hand, and the hammer twists, slowly, into…_

_A spike?_

_He feels a small rush of satisfaction, and has a feeling it’s from the look of fear he can’t quite stifle._

_“I think we’ll just cut things a little short…”_

_A jackhammer.  Right._

_“You know, Hawkmoth really hasn’t been holding back lately, has he,” he says, leaning away from the rapidly pulsing spike that could easily do… Frankly unspeakable things to his head._

_“I mean, first, it was the memory-wiping thing, which was pretty nasty, and then you show up with the mother of all property damage, and—” he recoils a bit further away, as the jackhammer comes just a little bit closer._

_“I mean, are you sure you want to go in for flat-out murder?  I wouldn’t say nobody’s tried, but this just seems unsporting.”_

_There was a second of silence, and if he wasn’t inside his head, he could almost believe-_

_“I don’t care.”_

_His vision flashed red, there was pain in his head, and then there was nothing._

//

His eyes flickered open again, and he realized where he was.

He was lying on the ground, a throbbing pain in his head where it must have smashed into the ground, and the flash of red…

The first image he managed to focus on seemed to last impossibly long; Destruction Worker recoiling away, head spun a full 90 degrees, as Ladybug seemed frozen, fist extended, clearly having just landed a shot across his jaw.

Then, time was moving again, and her other hand was coming back, and—

A fist to the gut left him doubled over, one more brought his head down to her level, and a final uppercut to the jaw left him flat on his back.

 _“Don’t touch him,”_ she hissed, to the now truly _distressed_ supervillain.

Then, demeanor switching almost instantly, she spun to look at him.

 _“Chat Noir,”_ she said, rushing to him as he tried to remember how to get to his feet.

_First the threat of death, then the awe-inspiring sight of Ladybug coming to his rescue, and now the look of concern in her eyes… Maybe it was the head trauma, but it felt like he was looking at an angel._

_“Fine,”_ he managed, through the sudden stupor that had hit him.  _“I’m fine.  Finish him off.”_

“Where’s the Akuma?”

_“Vest?  Hardhat, maybe.”_

“Alright, well let’s see if my _Lucky Charm_ can give me a hint.”

He didn’t see the item that dropped into her hand, but without saying another word, she turned straight back to Destruction Worker, who, with a ponderous motion, was slowly rising from the dust.

He tried to stab the jackhammer at her, but one _strike,_ and the arm fell back, spasming as he tried to regain control of the muscles against the raw force that had been levied against them.

One arm disabled, he tried, futilely, to reach out with the other one, but Ladybug swatted it away with the motion of someone too angry to care.

Then…

She knelt down, face to face with Destruction Worker, and…

He didn’t catch the words, but he heard a whisper, only barely audible, and then-

Her hand rose, and then fell, giving him only the barest instant to recognize a pair of scissors in her hand.

The hulking figure disintegrated into the same black mist as they always did.

Ladybug, with the practiced motion of one who’s done it a thousand times, snapped up the butterfly, threw the scissors into the air, and…

When the flare of light cleared, he was on his feet, head no longer throbbing.

He stood, blinking in the light, which was no longer obscured by the dust, and looked around for an instant.

Bridge, still intact.  Cars, no longer flattened.  The _buildings_ seemingly back to normal.

Ladybug…  She turned away from what appeared to be an _extremely_ ashamed construction worker, and turned to face him.

She gave him a once-over, and he managed a smile.

He barely had time to register-

//

_With a bone-crushing intensity, her arms are around him._

_He chokes, flailing slightly._

_“Easy, easy, you_ just _fixed my injuries.”_

_She freezes, and he feels contrition as her grip loosens slightly._

_“Sorry,” she says, and something in the depth of the emotion tells him she doesn’t just mean for cracking a few ribs._

_“There’s nothing to be sorry for.”_

_“I almost let you get killed.”_

_“But you didn’t.  I’m fine.  I’m alive.”_

_She relaxes, slightly, and lets out a breath._

_He matches her arms with one of his own, and lets his head fall forward slightly, so that his chin rests on the top of her head._

_For a second, they just stand there._

_Then, he feels just edge of embarrassment._

_“I…  I guess if I keep standing here like this, people will start getting ideas.”_

_He laughs.  “Yeah.  Probably.”_

_She sighs._

_“I…  Sorry.  Again.  This can’t be fun for you.”_

_She pulls away, slightly, but keeps one of her hands on him, maybe to make sure he knows that she means it, maybe unthinkingly._

_I just…  I want you to realize, that, even with everything… Even though, obviously, it… that, can’t happen…”  She sighed.  “You remember what I told you, after we fought Anansi?”_

_He laughs, a trifle weakly.  “Of course.”_

_“I never want you to ever think that you’re anything less than irreplaceable to me.”_

_“I know.”_

_And he does._

_But…_

_He purses his lips, slightly, trying to keep a smile in, and restrains so many of the things he wants to say._

_Instead…_

_“Well…  I just want_ you _to know…  I can’t guarantee that someday, you won’t kick yourself, or… Possibly kick me, when you realize that you never saw me coming.”_

_She laughs, but he can feel sadness behind it._

_“I know, I know… You already like someone.  I don’t plan on that stopping me.”_

_She doesn’t believe him._

_He doesn’t blame her._

_She pulls the rest of the way away._

//

“Well…  If it really makes you feel any better, and you’re really so sure I won’t recognize you…  Like I said, you’re welcome to try.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette looks back, and then looks further back.  
> Adrien looks ahead, and then looks further ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I've finally got an ending in mind. Probably only going to be a few more chapters.

Marinette, for all she tried to be careful, had to admit that she might have made a mistake, earlier.

That wasn’t to say that she regretted coming to help Chat Noir; if anything, she regretted waiting as long as she had.  She didn’t regret not holding back, either; a couple solid punches had significantly sped up the process of deakumatization, and she was _all_ for that.

What she _actually_ regretted…

_‘Don’t touch him.’_

She could never have regretted what she meant by it; Chat Noir was under her protection, and if Hawkmoth ever _did_ manage to do him serious, lasting harm…

She didn’t want to find out what she’d do when they met in person.

More to the point, the raw fury she’d felt as she’d said it…

Marinette had never been an Akuma.  Even at her closest, she’d managed to fight off the negative emotions enough to deter the butterfly.

But now, remembering how she’d felt, she couldn’t help wondering.

What if something really _did_ happen to Chat Noir?

Could Hawkmoth…

Could he what?  Turn her own anger at him, against _herself?_ Against Chat Noir?

It was a terrifying thought, especially because she knew what negative emotions could do to a person, what deals it could bring them to make.

Even Mme. Bustier, who had fought so hard, still hadn’t managed to fight him off.

But… Hawkmoth had only managed to catch _her_ by offering her the chance to spread love to the whole city, and, if nothing else, nobody had gotten hurt.

So, if Hawkmoth could be bargained down, _slowed,_ then surely he could be stopped outright.

And if a desire to spread love gave him pause, then having a direct grievance against him would surely be even better.

Except…

Mme. Bustier had been scared, but she’d been thinking, fighting, and, above all, almost in control.

If Marinette was stuck in the same position, furious, she wouldn’t be thinking straight.  Maybe…

No.

Irrational or not, she couldn’t let it happen.  She _wouldn’t._

No matter how distraught she might be over what had happened to Chat Noir, she couldn’t let herself be turned against him.  Whatever happened, whatever Hawkmoth said, or did, she’d find a way.

She took a deep breath…  And let it out.

Considering how often he risked his life for her, it was the least she could do.

And…  Well, it wasn’t to say she _owed_ him anything for being emotionally unavailable, but if, for example, she had to fight Adrien, it would take a toll on her.  He didn’t deserve that.

Speaking of Adrien, for that matter…

She pulled out her phone, finally remembering what she’d been doing before the tumultuous sounds of property damage.

She’d been responding to Alya about the bits of information that they hadn’t hashed out, which really wasn’t that many.

She’d recounted the… _not_ date in excruciating detail, and Alya had loved every second of it, which was almost a surprise, since Alya was usually just amused or, occasionally, _exasperated_ when Marinette told her about things to do with Adrien.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Alya had rapidly grown convinced that Marinette’s story meant Adrien _liked_ her.  Marinette was more skeptical.  Not to say, of course, that Adrien _didn’t_ like her, since, of course, they were definitely friends, but…

Of course, she _wanted_ to believe it, but _could_ she, really?  After she’d managed to muster the courage to kiss him at the class picnic, he hadn’t even seemed to have noticed it as anything more than a friendly gesture.  Paris itself had come to the conclusion that they must be together, and the idea practically seemed _embarrassing_ to him.

And when she compared what had happened yesterday?  Yes, Marinette _wanted_ to believe that Alya’s excitement was grounded in reality, she really did.

But really, it could just as easily have been one more in the line, and if she got her hopes up every time showed her any affection, she’d just be setting herself up for pain, especially if she started on Saturday, when the next time she could _possibly_ see him was Monday.  That was the kind of timeframe where she could, if she let herself, build up some dangerous expectations.

After all, it wasn’t like Adrien was… Was breaking out of his house to come visit her, or whatever.

\--

Adrien was halfway out the window when he realized that breaking out of his house to visit Marinette was a bad idea.

That wasn’t to say that he _didn’t_ want to see her, of course.  He did.

Rather, the issue he was running into was that there was no good way of doing this.

Or… At least, _this_ wasn’t the good way of doing it.

‘This’ being…  Well, being going directly to Marinette’s house right now and, _not_ hesitating.

Of course, if he’d believed he could make it work, he’d have done it gladly, but a bit of forethought wouldn’t go awry.

 _He’d arrive there, with no guarantee she was even home.  Her_ parents _would be, though, and he’d have to ask them, revealing that he didn’t even know.  However nice they were, that would be an awkward start._

 _Even then, if he somehow made it past that hurdle, he’d suddenly show up in Marinette’s room, when she wasn’t expecting him.  Considering how much trouble she had talking to him when she had time to prepare, this would almost_ certainly _go poorly._

_And then, if he somehow managed all of that without embarrassing the two of them to a deadly degree, he’d still have to do what he’d come to do; tell her how he felt.  If she’d had trouble talking up to that point, she’d probably lose the ability to speak entirely, even leaving aside the fact that he wasn’t sure if he could even make himself say it aloud._

_Then, if he_ did _manage to say it, without killing both of them from the awkwardness, what would he do_ next? _If he stayed, what would he talk about, when he’d said something as weighty as that?  Would he show up, profess his undying love, and then_ leave?

_Surely that was in bad taste._

He sighed.

Now Chat Noir, Chat Noir was a different story.  Chat Noir could show up directly on her rooftop, no awkward questions about how he got there, not even any surprise that he’d shown up, since he’d done it before.

Which, of course, made it so much worse that Chat Noir was out of the question.

But doing this as Adrien…  Adrien had a schedule to work around, and if he showed up where he wasn’t supposed to be, Marinette at least would ask questions, and that was assuming that nobody _else_ noticed he was missing.

Adrien couldn’t feasibly show up late at night without some _serious_ explanations, and he _especially_ couldn’t do it on her balcony.

Unless…

Maybe?

After all, as far as Marinette was concerned, she’d seen Adrien and Chat Noir in the same place, after Gorizilla had attacked, so maybe she’d scramble for an explanation rather than jumping to the obvious one she was so sure couldn’t be true?

But then, even if she didn’t instantly figure out what had happened, she’d be considering it, and there was a _reason_ that Ladybug did most of the planning in fights.  There was every chance that she’d realize it was more likely that he’d gotten a duplicate than that Adrien had a conventional explanation for appearing on her balcony late at night where Chat Noir usually did.

…

Really, when he said it like that, he wasn’t sure why he’d considered the idea in the first place.  There was no way he could do it.

So, what was he supposed to do?  Just… _Wait?_

How long?

In a month, _maybe,_ he’d have another chance like the one he’d just missed.

Then again, maybe he could catch her alone in the locker room, like he’d already done once or twice.

_Yes.  A relationship patched together entirely during the times when one of them was packing up from school._

_Very romantic._

But then, if his only other option was to wait for what might be months, for a _chance!?_

There had to be a better way.  There just _had_ to be.

At the _very_ least, somewhere he could talk to her that _wasn’t_ a locker room, and, _maybe_ wasn’t surrounded by other people?

He slumped in his position on the couch, almost shuddering at the idea of Chloe showing up while he was talking to Marinette.  She was nothing _like_ as bad as Lila, but even her garden variety malevolence would be inauspicious, to say the least.

Which left him with… What?

“Plagg?” he groaned, “What do I have that Chat Noir doesn’t?”

“Uhhh…” grumbled Plagg, drifting up in front of him, “A bunch of boring chores, an overbearing jerk of a father, a bunch of _even more_ boring photoshoots, your face plastered all over Paris so you can’t go anywhere without people recognizing you, a monosyllabic _at best_ bodyguard, a bunch of cheese, _that’s_ nice, an assistant who _definitely_ can’t keep a secret from your father,” he started drifting away, “more cheese, a bedroom, a house, uh… couple of friends…  I mean… _me,_ but _I’m_ not helping.  Eh.  I could probably keep going.”

Adrien sighed.  “Yeah…  I mean…  I could probably bribe you.”

Plagg shrugged.

“Not that I even know what I’d want you to do…  I don’t even know what I want _me_ to do.”

Well…  Plagg had given him a list.  Even if he’d meant it sarcastically…

Chores… No.  Father… Definitely not.  However much he approved of Marinette, Adrien doubted he’d be _that_ approving at this point.  The photoshoots…  Maybe?  He’d gotten to speak to her before Style Queen had attacked, at least.  He wouldn’t count it out.

His face plastered over Paris… Well, considering what had happened _last_ time he’d snuck out… No, that wasn’t a fair comparison to make; the fragrance ad had just come out last time.  He _might_ get away with it, especially if he was thinking about avoiding attention…  But that still meant he needed some excuse to run into Marinette, at least if he wanted to avoid the _exact_ reason he wasn’t sneaking over to her house _right now._

His bodyguard…  Well, he could occasionally be persuaded to bend the rules.  As long as Adrien could cough up plausible deniability, Adrien could pencil him in as a maybe.

Nathalie…  Well, Plagg was right.  She was his father’s personal assistant, and Adrien had _no_ doubt that she really did tell him everything.

The house and his room, probably both useless, for all he could only use them as Adrien.

_A couple of friends…_

He sat up.

Of course.

How had he missed that in the first place?

All he needed to be able to speak to Marinette alone was to get the only other people who were _reliably_ around her.

If anyone would know about Marinette’s crush on him, it was Alya, and if there was anyone who could get him… An audience, let’s say, it was Nino.  And if there was anyone that could prevail on Nino for a no-questions-asked chat with his girlfriend, it was Adrien.

Of course, he _could_ just call Alya…

But, of course, he barely trusted himself with this situation in person, let alone over the phone.

And in person…

His hand twitched slightly at his side, and he wondered whether it would be justified.

Maybe…

Maybe.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien finally manages to put his plan into action.
> 
> But he's dreaming if he thinks it'll be that easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit longer than usual, but I get the feeling if you've made it this far, you won't mind an extra couple hundred words.

Saturday felt inordinately long, possibly due to the fact that he’d almost died.  That said, for all it was hard to really _maintain_ Kagami’s advice, the fact that he was at least moving _towards_ something meant that he could leave behind the ennui he’d felt in the morning.

Moving towards something, in this case, meant that he’d contacted Nino, who had asked why he wanted to talk to Alya in person, and given the verbal equivalent of a shrug when Adrien had said he had some important questions she might have the answer to

Adrien got the impression that Nino was pretty sure he’d hear about it anyway.

In fairness, he probably would.

 

By Sunday, Adrien had already realized that it would have been simpler just to ask Alya to talk in person directly.  Of course, it was too late for that now, since Nino had already conveyed his request.

And simpler wasn’t the whole of it; Alya had sent a few questioning texts, which he frankly should have expected.

_No, he couldn’t explain things now.  Yes, she’d have to wait until Monday.  Yes, he’d definitely be able to explain things in more detail then.  No, seriously, not yet.  Also, please don’t mention this to anyone until I’ve actually gotten the chance to talk to you._

Of course, the other issue he’d run up against…

The same one as ever.

He knew about Marinette’s crush on him.

He knew about his on her.

The only question he didn’t know was whether Alya knew about Marinette’s crush on him.

Of course, she _probably_ did, but… The problem was, if Alya knew, she might conceal that she knew just so that if _he_ didn’t know…

Alya _definitely_ shouldn’t have known that _he_ knew about Marinette liking him, which meant that because she _didn’t_ know that _he_ liked Marinette, she might hide that _she_ knew that _Marinette_ liked _him,_ to avoid making things _weird,_ except he _did_ know that Marinette liked him, which meant that what he was _really_ asking was whether _she_ knew about Marinette’s crush on _him,_ which meant that if he _did_ use his empathy powers, the only question he’d be probing for an answer to was one that, if _Alya_ had the whole story, she would _want_ him to know the answer to.

Right?

So… He _should_ use the empathy powers?

That was… That was what that meant, right?

He needed a diagram.

\--

It was Monday, and Alya was filled with the low-level electric current she always got when she was following a lead.

_Adrien Agreste, coming to talk to her, about something secret._

Now… If she was a _suspicious_ girl, and she was, she’d say this might have _something_ to do with the crush she was pretty sure Adrien had recently acquired on Marinette.

The problem, of course, was that, on the one hand, Marinette had been pining after Adrien for over a year, now, and it didn’t quite seem fair that he got to waltz in and get a free pass to be with her favorite girl in the city.

On the other hand, she didn’t exactly want to leave Marinette hanging any longer than she’d already been.

On the first hand again, if she pulled Adrien back a bit, he’d probably spring forward like a slingshot, directly into Marinette…  Metaphorically.

Actually, considering how often Marinette had tripped around _him,_ maybe _not_ metaphorically.

Ah, decisions.

She was faintly wobbling back and forth between the options, unclear on which of them she wanted to go with, when she arrived at school.

She leaned up against the wall outside the main entrance, and pulled out her phone.  She probably wouldn’t have much chance to work on it, but she _had_ been planning a new article for the Ladyblog; a mostly joking article rating the odds of different people being Paris’ resident superheroes.

Adrien had a 7/10 to be Queen Bee.  The blond hair should have given it away instantly.

\--

As Adrien stepped out of the car, he took a deep breath; he was going to have to be careful, but not so careful it crossed the line into cowardly.

Had it not been for the fact that he’d be asking for help with something that he knew was actively painful for her, he’d have wished that Kagami had been here to slap some of her trademark sense into him.

 _This was easy.  Alya was his friend, and she was_ Marinette’s _friend.  Surely she’d be happy to help once she understood what was going on._

For a second, he wanted to just tell Alya that something had happened, and he didn’t need to talk to her anymore…

Except without Alya’s help, he didn’t know if he’d be able to talk to Marinette privately for a _month, at best._

A second past, as the idea seeped into his head.

He felt his breathing speed up slightly.

He stepped forward.

“Alya.”

She froze, finger on her screen, seemingly typing, and looked up.

“Adrien?” she said, innocently.

“I…” he said.

“Mhm…?” she said, smiling.

He closed his eyes, putting a hand up to his face.

_Why was this so difficult?  He wasn’t even talking to Marinette, yet._

_“You had a question?”_

His eyes flicked open, and his hand caught on her shoulder.

//

_“It’s about Marinette.”_

_There was a certain satisfaction when he first made contact.  And now…_

_If satisfaction was a liquid, Alya is a rag that was just dropped into a bucket of it._

_“Oh?”_

_Her expression is mild, but her mind is leaning luxuriantly back in an armchair, saying ‘go on?’_

_It’s all the information he needs._

//

He pulled his hand away, running his fingers through his hair.

“She likes me, doesn’t she?”

Alya’s smile seemed to split just a _little_ wider.

“And what if she does… Agreste?”

She knew, and she was _happy_ about it.  That meant…  She _knew_ … About Marinette.

“Good question…”  He said, and gritted his teeth.  “What about…  What if I like her?”

“Tossing around a lot of hypotheticals there, aren’t you?  I mean… _If_ both of those were to be true, you’d just want to ask her out, wouldn’t you.  After all, if she, by some chance, liked you, she’d say yes.”

And _that’s_ why needed the empathy powers, because…  That’s only a yes in context.

“And… _Hypothetically,_ what if I almost never get the chance to talk to her alone?”

“Well… Have you considered getting locked in a cage at the zoo together?”

“And how exactly do you _plan_ to have that happen?”

“Well, you can always text her.”

“Maybe…  That’s always a bit risky, though.”

Alya opened her mouth… And shut it.  “Your father monitors your texts?”

Adrien shrugged.  “Maybe?”

Alya let out a disdainful huff, and then shook her head.  “So…  You seem to be…  Excuse me, _in that scenario,_ you _would_ seem to be in a bit of a tricky situation.”

“Which is when I’d ask the person who knows her best for help.”

Alya raised her eyebrows, and the smile cracked wider.

“I’m listening.”

\--

When both Adrien and Alya had come in simultaneously to first period, Marinette hadn’t thought anything of it.  Just a coincidence.

When Alya had suggested they go eat in the park for lunch, Marinette had frankly thought it an excellent idea, and a fine change of pace.

When Alya had suggested they go again tomorrow, Marinette had readily agreed.

When tomorrow, which was to say, _Tuesday,_ rolled around…

\--

_Some days, nothing seemed to go right._

\--

As the hours of class before lunch went by, Marinette, when she wasn’t paying attention to class, was _mostly_ idly contemplating the fact that Chat Noir hadn’t even come to visit.  They went to the same school, but…  Was he trying to make her forget about him, in the hope that it would keep her from connecting the identities if he introduced himself?  Or… Maybe he just hadn’t been up to it.

That was a sad thought.  Of course, it was probably for the best that he didn’t visit _too_ often, if for no other reason than that it was bad for her sleep schedule.

\--

 _She wasn’t there,_ again.  _It was a bad day when…_ She _seemed to have a point._

\--

Near the end of second period, her train of thought was derailed, when Nino had turned around.

“Hey, dudes, you mind if Adrien came along for lunch today?”

Alya had shrugged, but Marinette…

“Yes!”  She blinked.  “Ah- sorry, no.  I mean, no, I _don’t_ mind.”

“Sick,” said Nino, turning back to Adrien, who had, of course, heard her.

“I guess my bodyguard doesn’t really mind me going places as long as I’m in a group,” said Adrien.  He sighed.  “Unfortunately, Nathalie and my father don’t share his trust in you.”

Adrien had turned back to the front, but he _must_ have noticed Marinette blushing.

\--

 _There was nothing to talk about.  Of course there was nothing to talk about; there was_ never _anything to talk about with her.  No matter what she did, there was nothing to talk about._

_All she wanted was for her to acknowledge it.  That would be enough._

\--

Marinette laughed.  “Seriously, Alya?  A picnic blanket?”

“It seemed appropriate.”

“I mean… It sure is.”

Marinette gathered up her supplies.

The day was looking good.

She was going for what was basically just a picnic with her friends.  Adrien would be there.  Realistically, she didn’t know that she could hope for a better day.

“Is it new?”

Alya laughed.  “Not quite.  My mom’s been saying we should do a picnic one of these weekends, but this time of year there’s _always_ a lot of stuff to do, so we haven’t gotten the chance.  We managed it _last_ year, though.”

They made it to the bottom of the stairs.

“Maybe we should make this a regular thing.  I only came up with the idea because…” Alya laughed.  “Never mind.”

“No, no, I’m curious.”

Alya laughed.  “Well, I’ll put it this way; I’m doing a favor for a friend, and it got me thinking about picnics.”

“What kind of favor involves picnics?”

“Hey!” said Alya, by way of greeting Nino and Adrien.

_Oh, of course, he was wearing the hat again, and now there were sunglasses._

Adrien waved, smiling.

Marinette… Couldn’t see his eyes, but for a second, she thought he was looking at _her_ with that smile.

They made it to the front door.

The sun was shining, the air was fresh.

Marinette took a deep breath.

_Lovely._

As they crossed the street, Alya was already preparing to unfurl the blanket.  “Now…  I’m thinking somewhere in the shade…” Her eyes darted around, before catching on… “There…”

It was a bit farther, but, Marinette had to admit, it was _extremely_ scenic.

If she was honest, it put her in mind of…

She stifled the impulse to think about romantic dates.  She had already reacted a bit too hard when Adrien had been asking to come along, and if she kept that up…

It was like she’d been thinking, back home; she needed to keep her expectations low, both so that she didn’t get disappointed, and so that she could talk properly.

The blanket was laid out, and Marinette and Adrien were already sitting down, when Alya froze.

“Hold on.”

They stopped.

“Ah, no, not you two.  Hey, Nino?”

“Yeah?”

“We were planning to study science earlier, right?”

“Uh…  Yeah, maybe?  I think I remember what you’re talking about, yeah.”

“I’m thinking… if we don’t go and do that now, we probably won’t get to before class…”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“And we probably won’t be able to do any studying out here…”

Nino seemed to be getting the gist of things, and started standing up.

Marinette was giving Alya a suspicious look.

Alya just flashed her a grin, and _winked._

“You two can pack up the blanket when you’re done, right?”

“I… I’m not used to folding things, but I’ll try?” said Adrien.

“Oh, trust me, Marinette can show you how.”

“And you’d better be able to make it again next time we do one of these, dude,” said Nino.  “I haven’t gotten to do anything with you in _way_ too long.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

And…

“Did they just…  Leave, us, here?”

Adrien nodded, slowly.  “I think they did.”

 _“Alya…”_ muttered Marinette.  On the one hand, she was flattered that Alya was trying to do this for her, but on the other hand, she had to _know_ by now that Marinette was _so_ much better at talking to Adrien in a group.

Wait.  ‘A favor for a friend.’  Had Alya been planning this from the start?

She leaned back.

\--

_“Wouldn’t you like to wake up, and find out that all of this was nothing but a bad dream?  Wouldn’t you-_

\--

It hadn’t quite hit her that it was just her and Adrien here, yet, but when it hit…

“So, Marinette,” said Adrien-

_There it was._

She managed to stifle the gasp as her brain caught up fully with her surroundings.

She was on a picnic blanket, alone, with Adrien Agreste.

She’d had _dreams_ like this, but reality had never cooperated until-

“It’s been, what, just over two years since we met?”

“Ah…  Y-yeah.  Yeah it has.”

He laughed, pulling the glasses away.  “It’s… Kind of strange, you know?  I feel like I should have known you for _way_ longer…  And, at the same time, like the past two years have gone by so quickly.”

She let out a nervous chuckle.  “W-  Well, I’m sure that villains attacking Paris could make everything a bit… surreal.”

“That’s true.  And, of course, I’ve never gone to school before, which has been a _lot_ of new stuff.”

“Yeah…”  Marinette needed to contribute to this conversation somewhere.  That was how _conversations_ worked, after all.

“You’ve… You’ve made a lot of friends,” she supplied, “that must be nice, right?”

“Yeah…” he said, staring off into the distance.  “it’s… It’s a funny thing about friends though.”  He pulled the hat away.  “Sometimes, when you call someone a friend, you’re missing something important.  Something that you need to realize.”

Marinette blinked.

Adrien turned to her.

“Marinette?”

“Y—” She cleared her throat.  “Yes?”

He opened his mouth to respond, and-

The world seemed to melt, almost.

She groaned.  “What?”

He stood up, and swayed, strangely.  “Something’s wrong.”

“I… Yeah.  Yeah it is.”

Everything was there, but…   Nothing was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The exceptionally astute among you might already know who the Akuma is.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a reason why communicating needs and expectations is important in a relationship...
> 
> This.  
> This whole situation is why.

Marinette pushed to her feet.

The carousel had stopped.  Broken, presumably, by whatever had just happened.

The park…  It seemed wrong, stretched in ways that she couldn’t quite parse.

She staggered, trying to process what she was seeing.

“Adrien,” she said, turning, but-

Adrien was almost 20 feet away, standing by the blanket.

Except, she hadn’t moved, and the blanket… wasn’t by her.

She shook her head, scrunching her eyes, in the vague hope that whatever it would dispel whatever was going on.

Adrien was ten feet away, and he turned, as if only now hearing what she’d said.

“Marinette?  This has to be an akuma, right?”

“I… I don’t know what else it could be.”

He looked down at the blanket, which was beside her.  “I guess we’ll just have to hope nobody steals it.”

_Right.  She needed to get moving, get transformed._

“I suppose so,” she said, “do you know where that wave came… from…” The words died on her lips as she saw the school in the distance.

The school was glowing strangely, practically a beacon of light in comparison to the world around, which, despite the sun’s light shining down half-blindingly, was all in warm, muted colors.

“I wonder who it is,” she muttered.

\--

Chloe Bourgeois, frankly, hadn’t seen this coming.

Sabrina had been acting _weird,_ but Chloe, had she thought about it, would have put it down to having almost been late to school.  Except, of course, that didn’t explain why she’d been even _quieter_ than usual (which Chloe hadn’t minded) and then went off about how Chloe ‘hadn’t waited for her’ (which she _had_ minded).

Frankly, it was a stupid accusation, since it wasn’t like Chloe hadn’t been sitting at her desk when Sabrina had arrived.  What more did she even want?  Well, _apparently_ what she wanted was for Chloe to be waiting for her in the _locker room,_ which, was, frankly, ridiculous

 _Apparently_ , though, Sabrina had disagreed with Chloe’s assessment, because just as their last class before lunch had ended, she had quickly and quietly slipped away.

Chloe hadn’t thought about it at first, but once she realized she was going to have to track Sabrina down, she came to the logical conclusion that she was probably in the bathroom.

So, already grumbling internally, she’d made for the bathrooms, where…

Well, it wasn’t to say that Sabrina _hadn’t_ been there, but…

She’d stepped out of a stall, looked Chloe in the eye, and then she _hadn’t_ been there.

Chloe had, despite herself, let out a shiver, a wave of _wrongness_ washing over her.  She’d made for the door, but when she’d walked through it, she hadn’t been in the locker room.

She’d been…

Been…

She tried to go back.

The door wasn’t there anymore.

\--

They made it to the road, and stopped.

“Why are people still driving?” said Adrien, “don’t they know there’s an attack?”

“I don’t see how they could miss it,” she said, turning to him.

“And even if they missed it, aren’t there more cars _now_ than there were before?”

“I… Yeah, that’s not right,” she said, turning to him.

He spun, looking for some other way across, but, of course, he should have known better than to hope.

“I…”

He took a breath, and tried to ignore the way the colors around him seemed _off._

“Surely, there has to be a gap eventually, right?” he managed.

“Yeah… Has to be.

The stared, waiting for _something,_ and-

Before they could find a gap…

\--

They froze in unison as a pair of figures, one red with black spots, and the other pure black, landed on the other side of the street.

“That’s…” he said, and stopped.

“Maybe they can help us get across?” she managed.

“Right,” he said, and sucked in a breath.

 _“Ladybug! Chat Noir!”_ he called, but…  surely he had meant to call louder than _that._   She looked at him, and he blinked.  _“Ladybug!  Chat Noir!”_   It was worse this time.  _“I,”_ he said, barely audible.

“Chat Noir!” she called, not quite trusting either of them, but trusting Ladybug less, for obvious reasons.

The two… _Not_ them, turned, and looked, halfway up the steps, which shouldn’t have been as long as they were.

They looked at each other, and Ladybug shrugged.

Adrien seemed scared, almost bewildered.

 _“What’s wrong?”_ she asked.

 _“I…  I can’t talk,”_ came an almost inaudible whisper.

“Wh- why?” she managed, but he only had time to shake his head as Chat Noir landed beside them.

“Something wrong, you two?” he asked, and…

He looked like Chat Noir, if she hadn’t seen Chat Noir recently.  And sounded… Much the same.

“The… The street’s too full of cars,” she said, “we couldn’t get across.”

“Are you two sure you _want_ to cross that street?  It looks like the Akuma’s in that school.”

 _“…”_ said Adrien, and then, with an effort as if he was shouting, _“so are our friends!”_

“Chat Noir, we can’t afford to wait too long!” called ‘Ladybug’ from across the street.

“Right,” he said, “hold on,” and grabbed one of them in each arm, and _vaulted._

Marinette’s head spun from the sudden acceleration, but in an instant, they’d landed, safely enough, on the other side.

Chat Noir put them down lightly, and straightened up.

_He shouldn’t have been quite that tall._

“Alright,” he said, “If you’re really going in there, stay careful, okay?  Ladybug and I are going to take the fight to this Akuma.”

 _“Wait!”_ called Adrien, but only Marinette heard him, as, in an instant, the two were up and away.

They stood there.

“Well,” she said, “they seemed… wrong.”

 _“Ladybug didn’t even say anything,”_ offered Adrien, _“I don’t think that’s right.”_

“And how did he carry both of us _and_ vault with his baton?  He shouldn’t have been able to…”

She stopped.

 _“What?”_ said Adrien, looking back with her.

“The street,” she said, simply.

It was empty.

No cars.

“Okay,” she said, shaking her head, “You can’t talk, Chat Noir can carry too many people at once, and he’s too tall.  The cars vanish when we’ve made it past them, for no obvious reason.”

_“It’s a dream.”_

“I think so,” she agreed.  “I think the sooner we can get people out, the better.”

_“Something’s keeping them there?”_

“Must be.”

“Well… The Akuma’s in there somewhere, and…”  The smart choice was to find some way to split up so she could transform.

That was the smart choice… theoretically.

Except, that would leave Adrien alone for too long.

She’d figure it out.

She had to.

“Ready?” she said.

He took a breath, and… nodded.

“Let’s go.”

They pushed through the door.

\--

Chloe’s parents were barely even married at this point.  More to the point, even when they were together, they rarely seemed to think about her, which was what made it so strange…

Her mother scoffed, tossing her hair disdainfully.

“And there she is again, back, and sticking out like a _sore thumb._ ”

For a second, Chloe didn’t even register that it was meant for her to hear, that it was _about_ her.

“Ridiculous, isn’t she?”

“Ah, well—” her father managed, before he was cut off.

“Still wearing fashions that went out of style _months_ ago, and _doubtless_ still hanging around with the _lower_ class.”

_Confidence.  Raw confidence was the only way to not get trampled._

“How _else_ would they be able to appreciate me?”

“And what _exactly_ is there to appreciate?”

The rhetorical way she’d asked it, and the ease with which she’d conjured the response, felt like a bit of Chloe’s soul draining away.

She didn’t notice the way the lights flared slightly as her head drooped.

She… She had to answer.

\--

If the door went where it was supposed to, they should have been in the courtyard, but… this wasn’t the courtyard.

“Where… Where are we?”

Adrien shook his head, and just, shrugged.

The room seemed sterile, all white and grey, and, more to the point, _massive,_ maybe 50 feet to the other wall, and _far_ more above and below.  They were standing on a ledge set into a wall, and it wasn’t the only such ledge; there were more, above, below, _around._   Thick slabs of the same white material were floating in the air, seemingly unsupported.

The only color was, maybe a hundred feet below them, the floor, which was a deep purple.

 _“I don’t remember_ this _last time we were here,”_ said Adrien, almost inaudible.

She laughed, a bit nervously.

“Yeah.  And… Is it just me, or is it a bit easier to _see_ in here?”

_“More effort?”_

“Maybe.”

_“Well… Lead the way, Marinette?”_

“I don’t know, do we need to get to the…” she stared.

“That… That floor was further away earlier wasn’t it?”

It seemed closer, and as they looked, they spotted something they’d missed, earlier.

 _“Who_ is _that?”_

“Has to be… Max?  He usually wears green, right?” She looked around.  “And this looks like it might be his…  His _dream?_   Or… Nightmare.  Something.”

Adrien nodded, and, with a finger, traced the path he’d be following.

Assuming he didn’t take any of the dangerous side-paths, he’d end up right across from them.

Which just meant they’d have to take a few… questionable jumps.

“Well?”

He shrugged, and hopped the first short gap.

He looked back, and she followed him.

One jump, two jumps, and…

They stood, looking at the one jump that had given them both pause.

Marinette looked back.

She was clumsy, and Adrien didn’t have the strength she did.  Either of them would be in danger if they tried this jump.

“We could go up the normal way?  Maybe meet him later?”

Adrien looked up, and she matched him.

Whenever the paths crossed again… She didn’t know.  They might not get another chance like this for quite some time.

Time they didn’t have.

He shook his head, and took a step back.

_He was going to jump, and-_

The image of him falling short, plummeting to whatever fate awaited him below, hit her mind,

For a second, the surreality of Adrien about to risk his life froze her, but then, even as he was about to get a running start, she snapped out of it, and put a hand on his shoulder.

He stopped.

She shook her head.

“Me first.”

“ _Ah-“_

But she was already jumping.

She made it easily, but slipped, almost tumbling off the other end.

She… Caught herself, and scrambled up to her feet.

She froze, at the look in Adrien’s eyes.

He had a hand reached out to her, and looked… Almost as if she _had_ died.

“Adrien?”

He shook his head, as if to shake off whatever thought it had been, and then nodded.

 _“Ready?”_ he mouthed, or, probably, _said._

She nodded.

3.

2.

1.

He jumped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news, it's going to be a little bit less mind-warp-y now that we're in specific people's dreams.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things... Don't go as planned, for Marinette and Adrien.  
> Chloe fails to take a nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, more than any, has made me almost regret having this story be G-rated, because I *really* wanted to break out some profanity.

Marinette stared, arm stretched out.

Then, slowly, shakily, she pulled back from the edge.

She closed her eyes, trying to forget…

Forget.

_Adrien, leaping across the gap, arms flailing wildly as he tried to get the last bit of distance._

_Adrien, not quite going to make it._

_She dove forward, as he slammed, stomach first, into the ledge._

_She’d barely managed to grab a hand as he fell away._

_She’d slid, but held firm, arm barely supporting his weight, even with her enhanced strength._

_For a second, she’d thought she could simply pull him up, and then there had been the sickening sensation of his hand slipping._

_She’d flailed out with her other arm, and if she’d been just a bit quicker, a bit less clumsy…_

_The image of shock on Adrien’s face as he fell away was seared into her memory._

She should have found some way to transform, even if it had meant revealing her identity to Adrien.  Even if…

It felt like part of her was crumbling in on itself.  She was breathing too fast, her vision blurring, growing unfocused, as the tear she couldn’t restrain seemed to gleam unnaturally bright on the tile.

_“Marinette?”_

It felt like she’d just hit the ground, or as if her soul had just been flung back into her body.

She was here.

Now.

Her breathing slowed, just a bit

_“Maybe he just woke up.”_

Maybe he just woke up.

“I…  Right.”

He’d…  He’d just woken up.  Definitely.

“Of course.  That’s… What happens when…” she swallowed.  “When something like _that_ happens in a dream.”

 _“As soon as you defeat the Akuma, you can tell him_ all _about what you dreamed.”_

Holding onto what felt like vain, false hope, Marinette pushed to her feet.

She turned, just in time to see-

“Max,” she said, voice weak.

“Marinette.” He blinked, visibly breathing hard, and she could see the wheels spinning in his head.  “You found some way to escape your dream?”

She shook her head.  “I don’t think anyone outside the school was trapped.”

He nodded, slowly.  “I understand.”  He froze for a second.  “Then that gives me no hope as to my position.  We have less than a minute before these platforms will be submerged.  We should go now.”

He started up the steps, a bit unsteadily, and Marinette followed him, having to think about every step, barely able to keep herself moving.

\--

Chloe Bourgeois had found her way to her bed.

Her phone’s apps weren’t working; right now, she would have given more than she wanted to admit for someone from her class to talk to, but her phone app only gave her a dial tone, and her only social media app pulled up a nutrition app that didn’t even seem to have any information in it.

The clothes in her closet were… fine, theoretically, but something seemed wrong about them, and she wasn’t sure she should wear them.

_Besides, they were even older, some of them, than what she was wearing now._

At the reminder of her mother’s dig at her fashion, she curled up a bit on her bed.

Daddy hadn’t stood up for her.  Of course he hadn’t.  Between the two of them, all three of them knew who he was more afraid of.

Her clothes were out of style, her mother was disappointed in her, and Sabrina…

The lights glowed hungrily, a bit brighter than before.

Sabrina was angry at her, and Chloe didn’t even know why.  Not even that she didn’t understand why whatever it was was worth getting worked up over, but…

She didn’t even know what had caused it in the first place.

What was it supposed to mean that Chloe ‘hadn’t waited for her?’  Waited _where?_   _When?_

She was supposed to be Queen Bee.

Queen of _what?_

Paris?  She was at most a princess, with her father being the mayor.

Fashion?  As if.  Her mother would never stand for someone else taking on the title of queen of fashion.

And at school?  Only one person respected her authority.

What kind of queen only had one subject?

What kind of queen _lost_ her only subject?

Chloe let out a slow, shuddering sob.

Yes, she had her castle, and her servants, but…

If anything, _Marinette_ had more followers than her.

Another sob wracked her body, as her hands clenched around fistfuls of blanket, a sign of the burning, useless rage in the depths of her stomach.  Rage at… Marinette, her mother, and… Her own weakness.

Marinette had more respect than her, and when was the last time _she’d_ gotten anyone Akumatized?

She was shaking with pointless fury now, her mind beating out profanity in rhythm with the blood pumping in her ears.

The _last_ time Marinette had gotten someone Akumatized, it was the girl who had been lying ceaselessly to the class, manipulating them against her.

And Chloe, though she hadn’t acknowledged it, had heard both Alya and Nino talking about how _Marinette_ had faced off against Lila’s Akumatized form.

No Miraculous.  Just… Marinette.

And Chloe?

The last person Chloe had gotten Akumatized was the one girl she would even _consider_ calling her friend.

The scream built up, deep inside her lungs, until she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

The lights themselves seemed to dim as she let it out, as if in fear.

\--

“Why is this room so _tall?_ ”  Marinette finally managed, breaking the spell of silence she’d maintained for the last several minutes of steady climbing.

“It’s…” began Max, before heaving a breath, “based on an identical room from the game Outrun.”

“Outrun?”

“This.  You outrun the rising liquid.”

“Isn’t outrunning kind of a stretch?  It’s… Pretty slow, isn’t it?”

“For now.  It gets faster the higher you get.  We’re still in the tutorial phase, but if I have to guess, we’ll be leaving it soon.”

“How many… How many phases are there?”

“This is the tutorial.  The first real level involves more difficult platforms, and adds jump-pads.  The second increases the difficulty immensely.  The third… Removes most of the jump-pads, but keeps the platforms similarly difficult.”

“So, if we complete the three stages, we might be able to break out?”

He stopped, and she heard him sigh.

“No.  The third stage is endless, and it only gets faster.  No matter how far we go, it _will_ catch us.  There’s no way out.  There’s no ‘winning.’  There’s only… Game over.” 

Marinette pursed her lips.

“There must be _something.”_

He started climbing again.

“Naturally.  If I believed the situation were hopeless, I would already have given up.”

“Then, if it’s endless…?”

“Ladybug and Chat Noir have presumably already shown up.  Usually, this means we will should be saved within… 20 minutes, maximum.”

She was playing an endless game, and if she lost it… If she even _slipped,_ it was game over.

Just like it had been for Adrien.

Worse, the only ‘way out,’ Max had, was…

Her.

And _she_ was trapped just as much as he was.

She stopped, as she realized that the layout had changed.

This had to be stage one.

It was… Exactly like Max had described.

The jump pads, the more dangerous platforming.

She froze.

Exactly like Max had described.

This was his dream.

Things here worked exactly like he thought they should.

Then…  She had a choice.

“Max?”

Max looked back at her from the jump pad, where he’d been about to jump.

“You can’t save your progress in this game, right?”

“No, of course not.  Every run is from the beginning.”

“So… If you quit the game, you… _lose_ whatever run you were on?”

He adjusted his glasses, and took a breath.

“Marinette, I know what you’re thinking.  It’s too much of a risk.”

“Is it?  This is your dream, Max.  It’s up to you whether it’s a risk or not.”

“And…” He grimaced.  “I don’t know.  The character dies.  The player doesn’t.  We’re _both_ of them, right now.  It’s infinitely safer to trust that Ladybug and Chat Noir will arrive soon than to risk your life to avoid climbing.”

Marinette pursed her lips.  She hadn’t said it, but…

“I came in here with Adrien,” she said.

He pulled in a breath, and looked down.

“I see.”

She pulled away.

“Good luck, Max.  I just… I need to know.”

“Luck isn’t…” he sighed.  “Good luck, Marinette.”

She turned away from him, but could still hear him climbing again behind her.

Well…

Either she was right, or…  Or she wasn’t.

The sludge oozed worryingly beneath her, purple and toxic.

Here went…

_Nothing._

She leaped, and this time, she wasn’t aiming for a platform.

\--

Though he hadn’t been able to tell Marinette, Adrien _had_ gotten the chance to feel the emotions of the fake Chat Noir.

It had felt like…

Like a beginner playing the piano.

The melody was there, plucked out with one finger, but the rest of it was silent.

And what he felt… It felt like someone trying very hard to be Chat Noir.

Strange, that.

This Akuma could _easily_ have made them secretly villainous, or… Or even _openly_ villainous.

But it hadn’t.

And… Adrien was trying very hard to concentrate on figuring out _why_ that was the case, in the vain hopes that it would keep his mind off of… Off of…

 _“Adrien,_ ” said his father, “are you even paying attention?”

 _I—_ he mouthed, but no sound came out.  Not even the bare whisper he’d managed before.  He shouldn't have been surprised.  He could rarely speak in his nightmares.

At first, his father had called him in to talk about how he’d clearly been missing his piano practices, then about his grades were slipping, and now…

“Well?  Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

He was standing in the atelier, too far away for it to be personal, but too close for him to pretend that this wasn’t directed at him.

 _I can’t speak,_ he tried to say, but of course…

“Disgraceful.”

_Father, please, I’m—_

“This is exactly why I believed that putting you into a public school was a poor choice.”

_No, I’m trying to—_

“Standing there, gaping like a fish.  I have no doubt you’d tell them all about how amusing it was to make me angry.”

_That’s not—  I’m not—_

“Well, you won’t.”

He froze.

_What?_

“I placed a bare modicum of trust in you, Adrien, and I see now… It was misplaced.”  He took a deep breath, disgust etched into his features.  “From this day forward, you will no longer attend—

He stopped.

“Oh,” came a voice, as Adrien saw a shadow pass by his foot.

_Marinette?_

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.  You are an aspiring fashion designer with a great deal of potential.  I recommend you leave now, before I am forced to have you removed.”

He turned, to see her stiff and worried, but as their eyes met, even he, with his poor eye for it, could make out the relief.

_She had to have been worried._

“I’m sorry,” she said, “but I have to make sure he’s okay.”

He felt a pang of fear as she said it, because-

“That is none of your concern.  I am his father.  And you are…?”

At the long silence, he turned, to see her pale.

“I’m his friend,” she said, finally.

“A ‘friend’ who has illegally entered my house, and is actively challenging me is not a friend that Adrien should have.”

 _You don’t get to decide who my friends are!_ he tried to say, but…

“I believed you might have been better than the rest of them, but now…  I believe I may have to remove you from his life.  I will not have bad influences affecting him.”

“I…  You…”  she was slipping, now.

They’d exited one nightmare, only to enter another.

There was no Ladybug coming to save them, nor any Chat Noir.

But…

There was a slamming sound, from beyond the door, like stomping feet.

The door slammed open, rattling the hinges.

_“What do you think you’re doing in my—_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Out of curiosity, have any of you listened to The Adventure Zone?  
> If you have, you might have a guess as to a bit of what's going on with these nightmares.  
> (For reference, it's nothing like Miraculous, though quite good in a different way, and to get what I'm talking about, you'd have to go pretty far in.)


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe's resolve has been tested...  
> Juleka knows the weakness of every monster there's ever been.  
> ...  
> She watches her careful assembly of nightmares begin to fail her, bit by bit.  
> Her plans are crumbling like...  
> Like...  
> Best you don't think about what they're crumbling like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning folks, this chapter ends on a Note.
> 
> Fortify thyself before proceeding, or wait until you're ready.

_Marinette knew that it was a dream.  She knew that this ‘Gabriel’ couldn’t have been the real thing.  But, somehow, it didn’t matter.  It_ felt _real, and… She could stand up to a supervillain, no matter what, but she’d never had to stand up to Gabriel Agreste.  Was she supposed to punch him, or—_

The door slammed open, rattling the hinges.

_“What do you think you’re doing in my—_

_“Shut up!”_

Marinette blinked.

Chloe looked like she’d lost her mind.  Arms bared in the black and white striped tanktop she usually wore _under_ her yellow overshirt.  Her ponytail had strands of hair out.

The strangest this was the wild expression in her eyes.

To Marinette’s… Moderate surprise, the room at large had _listened_ when she’d said to shut up, an opportunity which Chloe had taken to look at the two of them.

“One unexpected visitor was one too many,” said Gabriel, coldly, “a second is—

 _“I said shut up!”_ Chloe screamed.  _“You’re a dream.  You’re not real, and if you can’t tell me where Sabrina is, I don’t care!”_

“If you cannot keep a civil tongue in your head—

“ _You’ll what?  Keep telling Adrien he can’t come shopping with me?”_

Gabriel’s expression soured, and he went silent, as Chloe stared him down.

A second passed, then two.

“That’s what I thought,” said Chloe straightening up, and turning away.

Gabriel didn’t move, still staring at where she’d been.

 _“Next!”_ called Chloe, walking away.

“Wh-  What?” Marinette managed.

Chloe gave her a disdainful look, and then a… not disdainful look at Adrien.  “Obviously, Dupain-Cheng, if you stand up to them, they just give up.  _They’re dreams.”_

“But that’s… That’s…”  Marinette saw Adrien’s expression, and something clicked.

“Adrien?”

He looked at her, and mouthed what could have been _‘What?’_

“How _should_ he have reacted?”

Adrien blinked, and shrugged, giving her his best ‘how should I know,’ look.

“Chloe.  You’re a genius.”

 _“Obviously,”_ she said, walking past them.

“This is Adrien’s dream.  He didn’t know how his father would react, so… _so he didn’t!_ ”

Adrien contrived to give some implication that he didn’t know how he was _supposed_ to have known how his father would have reacted.

“Yeah, figured that one out already,” said Chloe, already almost to the window.

“Wait, where are you going?  Shouldn’t we stick together?”

Chloe shook her head. “I’m going to find her before Ladybug and Chat Noir do.” 

Without explaining herself, she jumped out the window.

She heard a faint sound, and…

Adrien tried to repeat himself, and she was relieved to hear at least _some_ sound as he tried to speak.  He’d been… Silent, before.

_Had that been his nightmare?  How long had it lasted before?  That whole time she’d been following Max?_

She leaned in close, managing to ignore the proximity to him on the grounds that it was literally the only way she could hear him speak.

_“I guess her pride is good for something.”_

Marinette laughed, a bit unnerved.

“Yeah…  I guess so.”  She pulled back.  “Alright.  We’ve got to find this Akuma, and we know how to do it, right?”

He shrugged.  _“…fuse them?”_

“Confuse them?  Yeah…  And stick together.  There’s not a nightmare alive that can scare everyone, and if you’re not scared of it… You can fight it.”

He nodded.

“Now… Do you think the door will lead to where Chloe came from?”

He shrugged.

“Let’s find out.”

\--

She stared, stoically, at the sight before her.

To call it a landscape would have been generous.  It was more a cloud, a collection of places, melting and shifting improbably in space.

The closest thing to a landscape was the courtyard around her, where this thunderstorm of a setup was hanging ponderously in space.

She’d made a new nightmare, just for Adrien, but…  She’d had to put Chloe _somewhere._

Her expression shifted minutely, as she picked out the path of destruction Chloe had left behind her…  Three nightmares, wrecked, their occupants only mildly nervous now.

_She jumped out the window._

A twist of the head, and Chloe landed in Max’s dream.

It would buy her a few seconds, to find a better place to put her.

She groaned.

‘Ladybug’ and ‘Chat Noir,’ at least, hadn’t figured it out.  Yet.

They would.

She knew they would.

Because…  _Everyone_ knew they would.

 _Everyone_ knew Ladybug and Chat Noir would show up to fight… so they had.

 _Everyone_ knew Ladybug and Chat Noir would figure out how the villain would work… so they would.

But…  She turned.

A small ball floated behind her, half liquid, half cloud.  Every second or so, a wisp of the same material would find it, floating in from the surrounding air, and sometimes, a wisp of the same material would leave, siphoned away.

Pain was power.

Power could be used to inflict more pain.

And if there was enough left over afterwards…

The ball grew, just a bit.

Expression stoic, but internally displeased, she noted that Chloe wasn’t her only loose cannon.

Adrien and Marinette were leaving their dream.

_Adrien had been so profitable, and now…_

If she was any judge, Ladybug and Chat Noir would figure it out before she could get enough power, _especially_ with _those_ three defusing nightmares right and left.

She wanted to undo them, Ladybug and Chat Noir, that was.  She wanted to just… destroy them, but they had strings in every nightmare.  If she undid them, she’d undo every nightmare at once.

She was hurting people as fast as possible, but she wouldn’t be fast enough to escape a fight at this rate.  She needed…  She needed something _big,_ to finish this.

Well then, Adrien and Marinette could go to one of her _marginal_ successes.

Marginal, but… sturdy.

\--

The first thing Marinette noticed was the _sound._   It was an awful, ear-itching sound, like… scratching.  Then, she heard a soft voice, somehow simultaneously rough and gentle.

Her eyes focused, and she saw… A small, candlelit wooden room, like a log cabin.  The windows outside were pitch black, but for occasional flashes of… _something._

And sitting on the couch...

“Rose?  Ah- Mylene?”  Her eyes focused on the dark figure sitting between them.  “Juleka?”

“Oh, hey Marinette,” said Juleka.

“Marinette!” said Rose, straightening in her seat, but not quite getting up, “and Adrien!”

“Wh-  What are you two doing here?” said Mylene.

“Oh, um… We’re—”

Juleka asked her something that… Marinette couldn’t quite parse.

Her eyebrows furrowed.

“What?”

Juleka smiled.  “Good.  Shapeshifters commonly understand all languages, so if you didn’t understand that…”

 _“Shapeshifters?”_ said Adrien, voice still faint enough that Marinette knew the other three couldn’t hear him.

“Shapeshifters?” she repeated.

“There are… a lot of monsters out there,” said Mylene, pressing up a bit closer to Juleka, the only one of them that seemed halfway at ease.

“Shapeshifters seemed like a possibility,” said Juleka shrugging, “but, since you’re probably not, we’re still fine.”

_Of course.  Mylene got scared easily, and Rose had such a vivid imagination for glittering towers and fancy ballgowns that it came as no surprise she could imagine terrible monsters just as easily._

“Do you know what’s going on.”

“You know what’s going on, right?”

“It’s like a nightmare!” said Rose, shuddering.

“We’re going to be okay,” murmured Juleka.

“I’m sure you are,” said Marinette, “and I know why Mylene and Rose are so against this,” said Marinette, “but don’t you _love_ monsters?”

She smiled.  “I was with Rose, and whatever happened didn’t manage to split us up.  They’ll be trapped outside for the next few hours.”

“You… Just, trapped them outside?”

She shrugged.  “What kind of cabin in woods full of monsters _wouldn’t_ have the materials to repel them?  The herbs should stay fresh enough for the next few hours, which is plenty of time for Ladybug and Chat Noir to sort things out.”

“Right…” said Marinette, trying not to think about the fact that _she_ was the Ladybug they were counting on.  “So… You three… You’re going to be okay.”

Rose nodded in the fervid manner of one trying to convince themselves they’re ready to go under anesthetic for surgery.

“But… That doesn’t help _us,”_ muttered Marinette.

“You’re welcome to stay with us,” said Juleka.

“I think… I think I’d be a bit less frightened with a few more people here,” offered Mylene.

“ _Not…”_   Adrien coughed.  “ _Not an option.”_   His voice was weak, but no longer a whisper.  Good.  That was good.

“Adrien?” asked Rose.

“Losing his voice was part of his nightmare.”

“Oh…”

“But he’s right.  We need to keep going, until we get to the bottom of this.”

“But… Why?” Asked Mylene.  “Ladybug and Chat Noir will be here soon anyway, right?”

“Well…”  Said Marinette.  “Maybe some people aren’t as safe as you three.  We need to make sure of it.”

The room went silent.

“If there’s really a way out… You’ll probably need to go straight through danger,” said Mylene, with the voice of who hesitated to even _think_ what she was saying.

“Outside, then,” said Marinette.

“There’s… Something out there,” said Mylene, “I…  I think it’s a fire?  Like a cave, with something burning in the back?”

 _“Sounds like a destination,”_ agreed Adrien.

“Do we have anything to fight with?  Any… weapons?  Anything to keep us safe?”

Juleka smiled.  “I think we can spare some materials.”

\--

She grimaced.

Why did they have to be so _businesslike?_

They should have been _terrified,_ or _anxious,_ but some of Chloe’s raw inability to worry had _apparently_ rubbed off on them.  She’d already plowed through another nightmare by the time Marinette and Adrien had gotten ready to leave their first one.

Still… She’d be close.  She just had to bump them into the _right_ nightmares, and…  Her hand twisted, and the path to the exit became that much longer.

She’d be close, and they’d take long enough that she’d only need to hold out for a minute, against a _fake_ Ladybug and Chat Noir.

She could do a minute, just stalling for time.  As long as she didn’t have to fight, she’d make it, just fine.

Of course, if the real ones showed up…

She’d catch them in a dream, and they’d be _far_ too late.  That was no risk.

She was well on her way to undoing the horrible day she knew she’d had before… All of this.

Soon, she’d have all the power she needed, and if Hawkmoth needed her to find the _real_ Ladybug and Chat Noir… Well, she’d have plenty of time to design _suitable_ nightmares to find them.  After all, if the entirety of _Paris_ was suffering, she’d have all the power she needed to make sure every person was checked for a Miraculous.

Just so long as she had enough left to revert _herself_ back to the start of the day.

A better day was only a handful of minutes-

She practically jumped as she realized that Chloe was passing through an exit.

No, no, no.  Chloe couldn’t be allowed to escape.  However much damage she could do in there, she’d be worse out here.  She’d need to _actually_ use the power she’d stockpiled, and she couldn’t afford that kind of expenditure.

She scrambled for a suitable dream, and managed to find something halfway decent, hand flicking Chloe into Kim’s madhouse of a nightmare.  Let her try to figure out what was even _happening_ in there.

She let out a tiny sigh of relief, which lasted the barest instant, as she felt both Marinette and Adrien on the verge of exiting into _reality._

She spun, reflexively batting them away from her.

Safe.

They hadn’t broken through; she’d successfully redirected them to…

She froze, and a _growl_ left her.

“No,” she snarled.

They could have landed in Kagami’s nightmare, where she was silently meditating and barely losing ground.

They could have landed in Chloe’s old, defunct dream.

Instead, they’d landed in the single nightmare that had produced the most suffering by far.

At this rate, Ladybug and Chat Noir were going to break out early enough that she couldn’t stall.

If she wanted a chance, she’d need a game-changer.

She had… Only a few minutes.

\--

Marinette squinted in the sudden light.

She was… Looking out across Paris.

It was a sunny, beautiful day.  Cars were driving around.  Birds were flying.  It looked like a normal day.

She heard a sound from beside her, and turning, she saw Adrien, a gently surprised expression that matched hers on his face.

“ _Well_ ,” he said, “ _that’s different_.”

“Yeah… I don’t know what I expected, but… It wasn’t this.”

They knew this view.  It was the one you got looking out of Mme. Bustier’s class.

Turning, they saw, sure enough, that this was the room it should be.

Empty.

 _“So… What kind of nightmare do you get in an empty school?  You need_ people _to have a proper naked in school dream, or a ‘forgetting your homework’ dream.”_

She shrugged.  “It’s _someone’s_ dream, and we’ll need to deal with it, _whatever_ it is, before we leave.”

_“I mean… We could just walk out the front door, right? I’m a bit shaky on the rules of these dreams.”_

“Maybe… But I wouldn’t feel right leaving someone to a nightmare, _whatever_ it might be.”

“ _Yeah.  I…  You’re right, I’m just asking.”_

“With any luck, this is an easy one, and we’ll be out in no time.”

“ _Yeah.”_

They made for the door, but—

They stopped almost immediately as the ground beneath them _crunched._

They looked down.

“Is that… Salt?”

_“Sugar, maybe?”_

Whatever the white powder was, it was spread haphazardly across the floor.

“Maybe… The janitor, scared of the worst mess he can imagine?”  Adrien crouched down, and from one of the thicker sections, idly scooped a bit onto his finger.

“You… Probably shouldn’t eat that,” she said.

He shrugged.  “Maybe, but I’ve never gotten sick from a dream before.  I doubt I’ll start now.

“Maybe,” said Marinette, slowly starting to walk again.

“It’s sugar,” said Adrien from behind her, and she pursed her lips.

A classroom full of sugar.

There was something _very_ wrong about that.

She tried to ignore the crunching underfoot, but couldn’t, because…

\--

“Empty,” she said.

“ _What?”_

“You were right…  There’s _nobody_ in here.  Just… A messy school.”

_“Maybe they left?”_

“Maybe.  Or maybe they don’t like the silence.  I know I don’t.”

He didn’t like it either, if he was honest.

Marinette reached the door.

Adrien managed a small laugh.  “Still, if _silence_ is your worst nightmare, that’s got to be one of the lighter options, right?  I mean…”

He trailed off.

The courtyard below them was covered in the same white substance, but…

It wasn’t all powder.

There were strange, irregular shapes.

Odd angles stuck up from the floor, and bent back on themselves.

One crumbled as he looked at it.

He tried to laugh.  “I… I don’t think that’s how sugar is supposed to grow.”

“No.  Sugar’s a… A cane, that you harvest from.  These look more like…”

Her voice stopped.

His mind continued.

He looked at Marinette, and knew from the look in her eyes that they’d come to the same conclusion.

Rose and Mylene hadn’t been scared of the darkness; they’d been scared of what was in it.

And… Whoever was here, it wasn’t the silence that bothered them.

It was the people who weren’t here to fill it.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette explore this strange, distressing nightmare.  
> We finally meet the villain in earnest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuing where we left off.

“People.  Those are…”  Marinette couldn’t quite make herself finish the sentence.

 _“No,”_ said Adrien, _“They’re… Dreams.  They just_ look _like…”_

“I don’t know who’s in here, but we need to find them as soon as possible,” said Marinette, rapidly descending the stairs.

Adrien followed her, and they both tried to ignore the suddenly much more _unnerving_ sound of sugar crunching underfoot.  It had gotten everywhere.  People had _been_ everywhere.

No.  Nobody had been anywhere.

This was a dream.

This was a _dream._

Marinette silently repeated that to herself.  The image could bother her, but she knew it wasn’t real.  It didn’t condescend to her like the fake Gabriel had.  It didn’t try to bite her like some of the monsters had.  It was just unsettling, and she could shove that to the back of her mind.

In the courtyard, the sugar was thicker on the ground, and there were still bits of people, not entirely dissolved into dust yet, balanced on end, or cracked on the ground.

From down here…

“So…  I guess they… Disintegrate, afterwards?”

_“I guess?”_

“Then… this must be more recent, right?  Than the ones in the classroom.”

_“It would have to be.”_

“Then…” she pointed to the entrance to the lockers.  “That must have been even more recent.”

A pair of legs, with the torso still intact; she could just make out the beginning of an arm held out to the side.

 _“Marinette,”_ said Adrien, suddenly.

“What?”

_“You don’t think… What if the villain’s still out there?”_

She stopped.

A second passed.

Two seconds.

“I doubt it,” said Marinette, finally.  “None of these dreams have been meant to kill you.  They… They scare you, and hurt you, but none of them have done anything that really risks the life of the dreamer.  Even Max… I’d _bet_ you that as long as he keeps trying he’ll always stay a step ahead.”

 _“So…  If there_ is _a villain, it’s probably going to ‘accidentally’ miss us.”_

“Either way, we can’t just leave, now.”

“ _No.”_

They stepped forward, past the half-intact figure.

\--

Adrien shuddered.

Here, in the locker room, where there were solid things for people to lean against… Or be backed up against… There were surviving… _statues._

Just statues, just… dreams.

And yet, with so many caught, screaming, their arms in front of their faces as if it would help, it didn’t feel like he was dreaming.

He turned, looking away from the worst of it.

Marinette was staring.  _“Marinette.”_

She shook her head.

“Right.  Right.”

She closed her eyes, and took a breath.

She opened her eyes.

“Did you hear that?”

He silently cocked his head, as she put up a finger.

On the edge of hearing.

That wasn’t a man’s voice.

He turned, trying to catch the sound a bit better.

Crying.  Coming from the boys’ bathroom.

Silently, not knowing why they were sneaking, they stepped towards it.

One step, two steps, three steps…

They were outside the door.

They looked at each other.

Marinette shrugged.

He put up three fingers.

Two.

One.

They pushed the door open.

Adrien came face to… well, back of head, with… Himself.

Or… Chat Noir, that is; a statue of sugar, caught in the action of running forward.

Beside him, Ladybug was frozen, too, turned to look at him, clearly shouting something.

He stepped forward, noting as he did so that Chat Noir’s right hand was missing, and, as he turns… Ladybug’s ears have been mangled.

No ring.  No earrings.

There was another sob, and he turned.

And blinked.

What he registered as another statue, is a person; A regular, _living_ person, with their back to him.  The shirt, a pale blue, almost white, blended with the surroundings, but the red hair should have caught his eye.

He stopped dead.

This was… Wrong.

Of all the people who could face a nightmare… It shouldn’t have been her.

Neither of them quite knowing what to say, they stepped forward, as if to take the place of the statues of themselves, though Marinette wouldn’t have known how perfect the match was.

She was curled in on herself.

They look at each other again, only a few feet behind her.

Adrien shrugged.

He softly knelt down behind her, and reached out a hand for her shoulder.

//

_It feels like he’s sinking, inevitably, into a dark ocean._

_There’s nothing._

_Not the nothing that Lila had, where he could feel flashes of sharp emotion occasionally, but was otherwise quiet._

_Not the nothing that Plagg had, which was_ something _, but slowed down to a pace where it was almost imperceptible._

_Not even the nothing of not touching anyone._

_It felt like every feeling she had had been gutted._

_“Miss Bustier?” he says._

_There’s a flicker, as she shifts at her name._

_“Miss Bustier?” repeats Marinette._

_She shifts again, and it feels like an engine struggling to turn over._

_“Please,” says Marinette._

_Her fist clenches on her knee._

_“It was me,” she says._

_“What?”_

_“I… I did this.”_

_“You… No.”_

_“Everybody…  Everybody.  And… And I gave Hawkmoth the Miraculouses.”_

_“No,” says Marinette, “You didn’t.”_

_He can hear the edge of anger in her voice._

_“I…  I did.”_

_“It’s a dream,” she says. “All you did was get caught in it.”_

_“You weren’t the Akuma.  The Akuma wasn’t… this,” he says.  “The real Akuma… It makes people live their nightmares.”_

_He can feel her struggling to process it._

_“This…  This is a dream?”_

_It’s not like waking up._

_It’s like… It’s like finally making it to the surface, when you’d been drowning._

_She heaves a breath, as if she really_ had _been drowning._

_Still… Metaphorically floating in the ocean, but that was still far better._

_He stood up._

//

He looked at Marinette.

_They still had more people to help._

\--

She fumed.

One false move, and her most powerful nightmare had suddenly fallen so far it was almost useless.

It had been perfect; no extra effort to maintain it, no moving parts, and best of all, it assumed Ladybug and Chat Noir would _lose,_ which would have sapped the energy of the ones that were coming for her. And _now_ … _?_

Ladybug and Chat Noir were going to break out in a minute or two, Chloe had shattered another three nightmares, and Adrien and Marinette looked like they were rapidly acquiring _more_ of her raw fury.

She’d hoped that maybe they’d go through something she could treat as an exit, but the only exits had been on the way to _her,_ and that… Even for a dream, didn’t make enough sense.

It didn’t help that her familiarity with the school made it harder to change things about it.

So now what?

Now…

Now she had to go for broke.

Marinette and Adrien were standing up.

Chloe was midway through breaking another nightmare.

She couldn’t afford to wait any longer.  She needed to go for broke _now_ , rather than waiting for something _else_ to go wrong.

She raised her hand, carefully snagging every dream, and with an almost delicate motion, picked up the ball of suffering.

Now… All at once.

\--

One last reassurance given, they made for the door, but before they could arrive…

There was a sensation like they’d been dropped, but… dropped into the same place they’d left.

But… _Not_ the same place.

The Ladybug and Chat Noir statues were gone.

The sugar on the floor was gone.

The locker room was as full as it had been, but the people in it were _alive_.

The light was dim, shadowy, but more _real_ , in a way she couldn’t quite parse.

She looked at Adrien.

“We’re back?”

“I… I think so.”

“Your _voice_ is back.”

He blinked, and then nodded.

There was a sound of commotion from the courtyard.

They had a job to do, and for reasons she didn’t fully understand, apparently Adrien was willing to this with her, despite not having a Miraculous…

Maybe she should consider giving him one.

\--

Nobody who was _really_ there to observe it would fully understand what was about to happen, or, for that matter, register what was happening well enough that a more knowledgeable sort could piece things together.

Of course, it wasn’t exactly _helping_ matters that most of the students around the courtyard weren’t even in the front row, and those who _were_ were only in the dim light that came through and from the haze of empty dreams above.

\--

The Akuma, who even Hawkmoth hadn’t come up with a satisfying name for (but would have called herself Nightmare, if pressed) had just brought everyone back, including the not-entirely-real Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Nightmare, to a new viewer, which, in fairness, all present were, didn’t exactly look like anything so much as a storm in human form _;_ her skin, or… body suit, perhaps (her old clothes weren’t there anymore, to say the least) looked like a dark cloud, a bruised purple with occasional flares of light beneath the surface, and, in a line up her chest, a glowing fracture, bright enough it would be painful to look at.  Instead of hair, it was as if her head itself was smoking.

All things considered, anyone looking at her would immediately suspected Hawkmoth, and, of course, they’d be right.

She held a ball of nightmarish pain and suffering in her hand, which looked even _more_ like a storm than she did, since it wasn’t bound to one shape.

It wasn’t quite big enough to change the past the way she wanted it yet, so she prepared to face down Ladybug and Chat Noir.

\--

“I _thought_ something was wrong,” muttered Ladybug, remembering the strange way the fight they’d just been in had gone.

“Cats have a sixth sense for that kind of thing, and mine was prickling,” agreed Chat Noir.

\--

Nightmare grinned, trying to project confidence.  She needed to win this fight, and she needed to make it look absolute to the viewers.

“Well then?” she said, voice a discordant choir.

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other, but while they were readying themselves, there was a scream.

 _“Sabrina!”_ roared Chloe, rushing forward.

Sabrina wasn’t here right now.

Nightmare barely even turned, snapping her fingers. A thin wisp of the storm in her hand made Chloe stagger, mind suddenly fractured into three nightmares simultaneously.  As far as Nightmare was concerned, it was probably overkill, but Chloe had been a thorn in her side for the past several minutes.  With any luck, she’d be so overwhelmed by the raw experiences running through her head that she’d be useless until the fight was already over.

She’d expected Ladybug to capitalize on the momentary distraction, and, apparently, so had everyone else, because she was able to easily bat away the yo-yo as it came for her head.

There was a satisfying thrum of fear at that, but she needed more.

\--

Marinette and Adrien, slipping through the crowd to stay out of her line of sight, whispered to each other.

“Any idea where the Akuma is?”

“It has to be in the ball, or something to do with that line on her chest.”

“Neither of those sound good.”

“Well?  Do you have anything better?”

“What if it’s like Dark Owl again, and it’s somewhere else?”

Marinette looked up at the cloud of dreams above them, which almost blocked out the sun.

“If it is… We won’t be able to find it in time.  The good news is that if she relies so heavily on nightmares, she’s probably not meant to fight directly.  Like… Like Sandboy, or… The Puppeteer?”

“She doesn’t _look_ like she’s weak in a straight fight.”

Marinette grimaced.  “I know.  If we do it right, though…  It won’t _be_ a straight fight.  All we need to do is break the Akuma, and ‘Ladybug’ should be able to fix it.”

_If she could use a Nightmare-Ladybug’s Lucky Charm to reset things, surely a Dream-Ladybug could purify an Akuma._

Adrien looked back at the fight, and… His expression sank.

\--

It was about 30 seconds ago.

Chloe, shaking on the floor, knew, even discombobulated as she was, that she needed to get up.

It was hard to concentrate over her mother’s sudden return, her closet burning, _and_ Adrien getting angry at her, but…

She finally managed to find the hand on the floor, and the fingers twitched.

It clenched, slowly, aggravatingly slowly, into a fist, and then—

She was back, and still _mad as hell._

Ladybug and Chat Noir were hovering in the air, seemingly locked in place, their faces showing only pain, as they struggled against whatever deadly force held them there.

She’d slowed Chloe down, but hadn’t stopped her.

Chloe stood up, and with all the protective vengeance she could manage, which was quite a lot, started running towards her again.

Sabrina’s back was to her, which meant-

She leaped.

\--

In the instant before something large and human-shaped slammed into her, Nightmare was exulting in the unnerved fear the sight of Paris’ heroes was instilling in the crowd.  Despite the input it required, she was still taking in power faster than she was using it.

She was getting close, and would only need a minute or two more…

And then Chloe had leaped on her back.

She’d staggered, and her concentration on keeping Ladybug and Chat Noir in place faltered.

They dropped, even as she reached an arm over her shoulder, and ripped Chloe off.

She slammed to the ground, and Nightmare pulled up a foot, and—

The breath rushed from Chloe’s lungs as her foot made contact.

 _“Chloe Bourgeois,”_ she said, twisting her heel slightly in Chloe’s stomach.

She snapped her hand back out, and Ladybug and Chat Noir were rapidly returned to their floating position.

 _“So persistent.  Maybe I should show_ everyone _what happens to normal people who try to fight me!” she said, calling out to the crowd around her.”_

 _Oh… Chloe, so sad that more people didn’t like you.  It would have made this hurt them_ so _much more._

“Leave her alone!” came Adrien’s voice, as he rushed into her line of sight.

 _“Bold words,”_ she said, _“when I can certainly break her_ spine _if I stomp hard enough.  And believe me, I_ can _stomp hard enough.”_

“Even bolder words,” said Adrien, hovering somewhere between fear and bravado, “when you’re about to lose this fight.” Impressive, really.

“And how, exactly, am I supposed to lose?”

She should have realized that she had five enemies, and only had eyes on four of them.

\--

Marinette leaped forward, her hands wrapping around the storm.

Storm was the right word, as what felt like an electric current flooded her body.

She couldn’t let go, though, not when this seemed to be the source of her power.

Her teeth gritted involuntarily.

She _pulled,_ and felt the resistance as the Akuma pulled back.

If it hadn’t been _her_ pulling…

But it was.

 _“No!”_ she yelled, as Marinette held onto it.

She fell back, rolling in an effort to keep it away from her.

And then out of the corner of her eye, there was a flash of red, and Ladybug was plunging a hand into the fracture in the Akuma’s chest.

Something seemed to _snap,_ and the Akuma began to dissolve.

Marinette didn’t see whether she finished, as the ball disintegrated into her, and the pain hit in earnest.

Her vision went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure Marinette is fine. Ball made of solid pain and nightmares just sank into her body, surely everything will be fine.
> 
> Also yoooo, 1000 kudos.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Nightmare's attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been realizing as I write that my chapters are already split roughly in half, so I figure why stick them together, if they're better off separate?
> 
> Thus, shorter chapter.

Marinette, for a long second, didn’t know what was happening, only that everything _hurt._   She didn’t know where her body was, or if she even had one anymore.  All there was, was _pain._

Then, just as she thought she couldn’t have taken it anymore…

Her eyes snapped open.

She was breathing hard, body covered in ice-cold sweat, but the pain had gone.

The floor swayed slowly into focus.

 _“Marinette,”_ said Alya, from the direction she now registered the hand on her back as coming from.

“Dude,” said Nino, “you okay?  You seemed pretty bad off there.”

She managed to roll over, and looked up at them.

“I’m… I’m okay.  I think.  Did Ladybug…  She got the Akuma?”

“I…” they looked at each other.  “Yeah.  I…  She vanished afterwards, though.  Like… Like she was a dream, too.”

The sun was shining down on her.  _None_ of the dreams were left.  Good.  That was good, at least.

“Chat Noir too, I assume?”

Alya nodded.

“Well…  At least they purified the Akuma.”

She tried to sit up, and, though she struggled, managed to get up.

“And… What about Adrien, and… And _Chloe._ ”

“Chloe and Sabrina went to talk about something, and Adrien… I’m not sure.  I think he went after them?”

“Right…  I suppose… I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me.”

Alya sighed.

“Well…  I guess that probably means you didn’t manage to…” she trailed off, vaguely, and Marinette remembered what she’d been doing _before_ her day had gone sideways.

“No.  You could have _warned_ me at least.”

“Girl, you overthink things _way_ too easily.  If I warn you too early, you’d probably _panic_ , and end up saying something about how you need to study _too_ , and then Adrien doesn’t want to stay out alone, and we’re back to square one, but we’re inside studying something we didn’t really need to _anyway.”_

“Right…  I guess… I do have a tendency to panic.”

“C’mon,” said Alya, reaching out a hand.

Marinette pulled herself to her feet.

“Well?” said Alya, “I guess you didn't manage to ask him out or anything, but how did it go?”

Marinette laughed, slightly, though her head was spinning as she stood up.  It looked like she wasn’t entirely through the side-effects of the… _thing._

“I mean, it didn’t have time to _go_ at all, really,” said Marinette.  “He said…  He _was_ saying something about how sometimes you’re missing something when you call someone a friend…  But he didn’t get to keep going.”

Alya grinned.  “What was I saying?  Boy with a crush?  Well… That, or he’s decided he hates you, but come on, like _that’s_ what he’s thinking.”

She laughed, and Marinette tried to laugh along.

The idea that Adrien suddenly hated her was preposterous, but… Logic didn’t make her stop worrying about it.

“Well,” said Alya, “What do you think?  More school, or…?”

“Ah… No.  No, not today, I think,” said Marinette, remembering Mme. Bustier’s state when they’d found her.  “I think everyone needs some time to recover after that one.”

For that matter, people were wandering off.

“So…  If you don’t mind me asking,” she said, “you seem fine again.  Was your nightmare not too bad?”

Alya took a breath, and then sort of tilted her head from side to side, in the manner of one considering.

“It was… Bad.  But, when I got back, Nino was there again, so it wasn’t too bad.”

“Right,” said Marinette, “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised it was something about him.”

A tiny, selfish part of her mind almost wished that something happening to _her_ had been Adrien’s nightmare.

“Actually,” she said, suddenly noticing his absence, “where _did_ Nino go?”

“Oh, I think he was off to find Adrien?” said Alya.  She laughed, again, “there’s just a chain of people heading off now.  Sabrina and Chloe, then Adrien, then Nino…”  Her face sank, and she shivered.  “Actually… I might go looking for Nino.  You want to come with me?”

“Of course.”

…

Minutes passed, and then hours.

They never did find Adrien, but they did find Nino searching, and _he_ had received a message that Adrien had been called home.  Apparently whatever little miracle he’d pulled off to come to lunch had finally come to call.

He didn’t know the next time he’d be able to make it.

If Marinette was remembering it right, that had been the second downright _miraculous_ chance she’d had to talk to him alone, and the next time there would be another one…

What had he said?  _A chance, once a month?_

She’d have better odds breaking into his _house._

Alya and Nino weren’t ready to give up each other’s company, in frankly _definitive_ fashion, and Marinette, out of respect for their privacy, decided to go home.

The streets of Paris were alive again but without the crazy chains of cars threatening the lives of people crossing the streets.  That was a step up from dreaming, at least; she could cross roads without relying on _Chat Noir_ to carry her across.

She finally made it home.

Her mother, presumably having gotten a mass-text from the school about what had happened, gave her an understanding nod as she walked in.

“You’re alright?”

She nodded.  She didn’t need to give much explanation; there had been enough attacks by now that ‘alright’ was par for the course.

Ladybug and Chat Noir always showed up, everyone knew it.  Moreover, everyone _believed_ it.  That was a lot of why they’d _won_ today.

She climbed the stairs.

She hadn’t even gotten flung into her own nightmare, and yet…  This victory barely felt like a _real_ victory.

Maybe it was the fact that she’d see Adrien _only_ during class for who knew _how_ long.

Maybe it was the fact that her own _lack_ of a nightmare meant that she was left out of the catharsis Alya and Nino had gotten from seeing each other again.

All she had was an unsettled feeling in her stomach.

Still, it was nothing that a good nap wouldn’t help, right?

Yeah…

She could use a nap.

She collapsed onto her chaise.

Did she even need to worry about setting an alarm…?

She checked her phone.

Ah.  Adrien had posted one new photo.  That was good, right?  That would mean he was feeling better.

Well, she could wait to check it.  What mattered now was that it was Thursday.  So… Yes.  She needed an alarm.

One tap… Two taps…

She turned up the phone so if, by some chance, she slept through the night, she’d still have the alarm ready to wake her up on time.

And she let her eyes close…

Uneasy dreams, and barely restful sleep rose around her like murky water.

There was nothing she could put a name to, but…

…

She woke up, breathing unsteady.

She’d been dreaming about… About… Something.

It was already, blessedly, slipping away.

She let out a breath, and…

Her phone was lit up, and, in retrospect, it was probably the sound of an alert that had woken her.

She blinked away the sleep, sitting up.

Maybe… Alya had texted her? Did they have a bad movie night tonight?  Or, then again, it could have been…

She leaned over, and turned on the box lamp next to the chaise, the light brightening up her room considerably, in contrast to the evening world outside.

Now, notifications.

She pulled up her phone.

 _Seventeen_ new photos from Adrien Agreste, and one new message from Alya, sent not long after she’d left.

_“You alright over there?  You kind of went missing.”_

Marinette smiled, quietly.

_“Sorry.  I was feeling like a bit of a third wheel, and after all the nightmare stuff, I was kind of tired.”_

She had little doubt Alya would be responding to that soon enough, but, in the meantime…

Time to see what all those new pictures were.

Surely, Gabriel wouldn’t have forced him into a photoshoot immediately after something like what had happened, right?

The notification automatically sent her to the earliest post.

 _‘Nothing like a friend coming to visit to make you feel better,’_ read the caption.

Below, was Adrien, holding the phone out for a selfie, and next to him…

Marinette blinked, eyes failing to convince her mind that they were seeing right.

“Marinette?” came her mother’s voice from downstairs.

“Ah-  Yes!?”

“You’ve got a visitor?  She’s a friend from school?”

There was a quiet voice downstairs, that Marinette wouldn’t have been able to understand even if her attention had been anywhere but on the phone in front of her.

“Oh, I’m sure she’ll be delighted to see you,” said her mother.

Marinette was frantically scrolling down the pictures, hoping against hope that if she looked hard enough, it would be someone, _anyone_ else in the pictures with Adrien.

The trapdoor to her room creaked open behind her.

“Hi Marinette!” said Lila, cheerily.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has a bad time.

It felt like she’d stood up and immediately taken a baseball bat to the face.

She’d had _proof.  Everyone_ had seen it.  _Adrien_ had seen it.

So why had he looked genuinely happy in the pictures?  Why was Lila _here!?_

Cursing the nap she’d taken, Marinette tried to focus her mind.

“Oh, did I interrupt you while you were sleeping?  I’m _so_ sorry!”

Marinette tried to simultaneously keep her eyes on Lila and blink away sleep.

“No, you’re not.”

Lila leaned forward.  Marinette vaguely registered the gesture as an attempt to check her phone’s screen.

It was still open to Adrien’s feed.

She smiled, suddenly.  “You’re right.  I’m not sorry.”

There was a long silence as Lila casually took a seat on the stairs up to Marinette’s bed.

“So how do you like the pictures?”

“Fake, I assume?”

She snorted.  “Of course not, Marinette.  Oh, but I forgot; you made the mistake of taking your eyes off me.”

“And, what, you managed to weasel your way out of confessing on tape?”

“Of course!” said Lila, with a smug grin that Marinette would have liked to wipe off her face.  “You see…”  She sighed.  “I’ll be honest.  You got close.  Anyone else, you might have had.  Not me.”

Marinette pursed her lips.  “What if I just throw you out the window?”

Lila laughed.  “And explain to your mother that you just tried to kill the girl you _framed?_ ”

 _“Framed?”_   Marinette stood up.

She shrugged.  “Like I said.  You took your eyes off of me.  And do you remember what else I said?”

Marinette was barely willing to restrain herself, but she cocked her head as if to ask.

“I said that people _want_ to believe me.  You put me in a room with _anyone_ for long enough, and they’ll _want_ to believe whatever I tell them.  The further you get from the thing that made them _so sure…_   The more they doubt their own memory.  And I…  I speed that process up _immeasurably._   So… Adrien… Let’s just say he’s _proof_.  The woman they had investigating what happened, call her _proof._   Gabriel Agreste…  Well, he likes to look into things for himself, and when I said my mother had to go to Italy, and I didn’t feel safe to stay with any of my other classmates…”

“You really think I’ll believe that you convinced Adrien less than a week after _he_ said we should expose you?”

“Did you already forget what you saw?  Does that face look like a boy who has anything less than absolute trust in the girl he’s with?”

Marinette resisted the urge to look down.  She knew the answer.

“It wasn’t even hard.  He’s so desperate to have _someone_ to spend time with, he spent time with _you.”_

Marinette’s hand was clenched so hard around her phone that if she wasn’t careful, she’d crack it.

“Adrien’s my _friend.”_

Lila laughed.  “Oh, he’s _polite,_ and, like I said, desperate, but if you think he wouldn’t drop you like a sack of potatoes the instant he found someone worthwhile, you haven’t been paying attention.”

Marinette grimaced.  _“You’re just trying to get inside my head.”_

“Then why was it so easy to…”  Lila looked at her, and laughed.  “Oh, I see.  He hasn’t gotten around to it yet.”

It felt like her blood was running cold at this point.

 _“Gotten around to_ what _yet.”_

“Well, I was trying to help him be _tactful_ about it, make it _so clear_ that he only thought you were friends because he didn’t know what it was like to have friends.  Oh… something about how sometimes you’re missing something when you think you’re friends with someone.”

Marinette didn’t want to show a reaction, but she couldn’t help the blood draining from her face.

_Just before the dream had hit, Adrien…_

“There it is,” said Lila, and from the gleam in her eyes, Marinette knew she was taking some vicious pleasure from this.

“Well, you know what _else_ you told me last time?”

“Mm?”

“Never tell someone your plans until it’s too late.”

“And I haven’t.  Tomorrow, there’s going to be an announcement that all suspicious leveled at me were the result of falsified evidence.  Anyone who doubts it will be quickly convinced otherwise by… Well, _me._ ”

“ _Faslified evidence!?”_

“Hawkmoth doesn’t always go in for _flashy_ villains, Marinette, and he doesn’t _always_ need them to go straight for Ladybug and Chat Noir.  I’ll admit, I should have been able to fight off his _nefarious ploy_ to get me Akumatized again, but when I walked into the bathroom to the sight of _you,_ doing both voices in a conversation _clearly_ meant to implicate me?  Why, I couldn’t take it!”

She shrugged.  “I have enough deniability to drive a _wedge_ into you, and from there, it’s all about who they believe, and you already _know_ what I can do with Adrien.  And if Ladybug herself told him I was lying about being her friend…  what can I say?  Sometimes we do crazy things for love.”

Marinette wasn’t sure her heart was even beating, anymore.

Lila stood up, grinning.  “Mhm...  I don’t think I _mentioned_ that yet, but it’s one of my favorite parts.  Actually… I don’t know whether _that’s_ my favorite part…” she leaned in close to Marinette’s face, and the smile dropped.  “…or whether it’s seeing you look _just_ like I did.”

She pulled back, and the smile was back again.

“Well,” she said, brightly, “If you come up with some _miracle_ , you know where I’ll be tomorrow… And who I’ll be _with.”_

She made for the door to the downstairs.

“And if you get a text in a minute or two…  Well, I’ll just have to remind Adrien he forgot to say it to you directly.”

And just like that, she was gone.

She _wanted_ to stand up, lock the door, keep her _definitively_ out of her room.

She could barely even consider standing up.

With what presence of mind she had, Marinette forced herself to breathe, trying to regain control of her mind.

_In._

_Out._

_In._

_Out._

Slowly…  Slowly, minute by minute, the rhythm brought her back to herself.

If she lost her mind, Lila had already won.

_She’d shown up to gloat.  She had shown up for the sole purpose of telling Marinette how bad her circumstances were._

She’d somehow managed to claw her way back up, and then she’d come _here,_ just to tell Marinette that she’d done it.

That meant…

That meant she’d done it out of _spite._   She hadn’t been _thinking._

There might be an opening.

Marinette could…

She could…

What?

Tell Alya and Nino not to trust what they heard tomorrow?

Send a text to the whole class?

_‘Hey guys, it’s Marinette.  If someone comes in tomorrow saying that Lila’s actually innocent, it’s because she’s so good at lying she convinced her without any actual evidence.’_

That was… It was the _truth,_ but it sounded _ridiculous._

And Adrien…

She looked down at her phone.

_‘Nothing like a friend coming to visit to make you feel better.’_

She _had_ to be lying.

She’d been… She’d been listening in when Marinette and Adrien had been talking, fabricated it from that, or…

And the pictures… Maybe she’d just… She’d…

What she should do is ask Tikki for advice.  Tikki had thousands of years of knowledge to draw from, and somewhere in there, _surely—_

Her phone buzzed.

Marinette’s heart, so recently restored to her chest, seemed to drop out of it again.

She looked down.

_Adrien had sent her a message._

She clicked it.

_“Hey.  Marinette.  I know this is kind of an awkward text to send, but I’ve really been thinking it over, and I’m not sure we should be friends…”_

_No.  No!_

“ _I honestly thought we could be, and I’m really sorry that I have to send this, but I just can’t do it.  I should have known that a girl who would judge me before she’d even had a chance to speak to speak to me wouldn’t make a good friend.  Then, there was the way you had all those pictures of me up on your wall, and that stutter of yours that I thought I could stand, but I just can’t!  And, honestly, if it was just that, I might still be able to at least pretend, but—”_

Lila…  Lila could have convinced him that they couldn’t be friends.

Maybe.

But…

She scrolled down, and felt herself dripping away.

She couldn’t have told him to say _all_ of this, which meant…

Which…

Her vision blurred over, but… At least that meant she couldn’t read the words on her screen.

The phone dropped from her hand.

Lila hadn’t been Akumatized.  She couldn’t have _faked_ this, _and_ the pictures, _and_ still been in town without having been Akumatized, which meant…

It was true.  What she’d said…

She wanted to fight it, or, think a way out of it, but her mind was dripping away, unable to find purchase…

Her thoughts went blank…

…

And then there was the strangest sensation, like…

Like time slowing down.

 _“Phoenix, I am Hawkmoth.  The world can be so cruel, can’t it.  It always pushes you down, so_ far _.  I would like to offer you the opportunity to rise.”_


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Marinette prepares to fall to Hawkmoth, we take a step back in time.  
> Because Adrien has a different story about how the day's gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of you saw this one coming, but hey, it's still good.

She was too far gone to say yes immediately.

She grappled, weakly, at what he’d said.

‘Phoenix?’

‘Rise?’

_‘Hawkmoth.’_

This was…

She wasn’t supposed to ever listen to him.

She was _Ladybug,_ she didn’t listen to Hawkmoth.

 _“I… I won’t,”_ she managed, weakly.

_“But why not?  What choice do you have?  Desperate times call for desperate measures.”_

_Desperate times…_

Then, there was a sensation like a bell ringing, a piercing note of desperate worry, and a soft, burning care.

_“Marinette?”_

\--

At the sight of Chloe on the ground, her indefatigable stubbornness still not strong enough to let her take on a villain alone, Adrien hadn’t even considered another option.

“Leave her alone!”  This time, his voice had come out as strongly as he could have asked it to.

 _“Bold words,”_ she said, _“when I can certainly break her_ spine _if I stomp hard enough.  And believe me, I_ can _stomp hard enough.”_

Oh, she certainly could, but she didn’t have the whole picture. _He_ saw Marinette sneaking up.

“Even bolder words, when you’re about to lose this fight.”

“And how, exactly, am I supposed to lose?”

And then Marinette leaped forward, and took hold of the ball of solid nightmares in her hand.

Instantly, the villain had been distracted, spinning to deal with Marinette.  Chloe rolled away, and was able to breathe again.

But Marinette was able to haul it away.

Even as the villain started forward to retrieve it, the dream Ladybug bolted forward, and plunged a hand into her chest.

Adrien didn’t see what she found, but there was a _snap_ , and the purplish smoke that they always associated with Hawkmoth spread across the villain, and…

Sabrina reappeared.

He let out a breath, and then remembered that that wasn’t the _real_ Ladybug, so—

_“No more evilizing for you, little Akuma.  Time to deakumatize!”_

He blinked, as she neatly snapped the butterfly out of the air.

_“Bye-bye.”_

That…  Well…  Close enough?

No, close enough was an understatement.

They’d made it.

_“Punch it!”_

And apparently, nobody paid attention to what they _actually_ said, half the time.

That was fine.  Let them talk about how, apparently, they were running out of time despite not having used Lucky Charm _or_ Cataclysm.  They _were_ running out of time, after all, judging by the fact that their bodies, which of course weren’t real, were slowly becoming translucent.

With any luck, people would put things together and realize _why_ they’d sounded so weird, and then talk with Marinette about making sure people _actually_ knew…

Talk with Marinette…

Marinette.

He turned, to the sight of her lying on her face, visibly shaking.

Cursing himself for waiting as long as he had, he practically sprinted over, sliding so he could kneel beside her.

//

_There’s a rush of pain as he touches her, sourceless, and with no clear direction.  Then, just as quickly as he felt it, it seems… to snap?_

_He looks down, to the sight of Marinette gone still._

_She’s cold and sweating, and… not in pain, anymore?_

_He wants to believe that he just happened to arrive when the nightmare ran out, but…_

_He can feel things under the surface, like shifting currents under the surface of the ocean.  It doesn’t feel like anything strange for a girl going about her day, but she’s not… awake?_

_Nino and Alya arrive only a few seconds after him, having muscled their way through the crowd._

_“Is she okay?”_

_“I—” He gives a helpless shrug.  “I think so?  I don’t know, she doesn’t look like she’s in pain, but she still hasn’t woken up, and…”_

_Maybe she hasn’t woken up because nothing’s prompted her to?_

_He gently shakes her._

_Nothing._

_He should have known.  She doesn’t_ feel _like she’s sleeping.  She feels like…_

_Well._

_“We should get her somewhere other than on the floor,” he says.  “Even if she’s just sleeping… And I doubt she is…”_

_“Right,” says Alya, leaning down.  “The nurse’s office, then.  I’ll take her head, Nino takes the legs, and you stay in the middle?”_

_“Sounds good to me,” says Nino._

_A bit of shifting, a bit of careful pulling, and Marinette rises gently off the ground._

_They walk slowly, carefully, across the courtyard._

_Normally, the sight of Marinette, unconscious, would be enough to draw attention, but some people are still shaken from their nightmares, and others are busy staring at Ladybug and Chat Noir as they rapidly come to terms with the fact that they aren’t real._

_It’s… Well, they’re taking it like champs, what else can he say?_

_Alya manages to edge the door open, and they push forward, into the empty nurse’s office._

_And…_

_Marinette’s down, on what would be an examination table, if this room was actually_ used _for examinations._

_They stand there for a second, just looking at her, and…  Well?  What good does he do by keeping a hand on her?  She’s seemingly fine, for the moment, so…_

//

“I didn’t see that wrong, right?” said Alya, “she really _did_ eat everybody’s nightmares?”

“I… I think so?” said Adrien, “Or, at least, something like it.”

“Dude…” said Nino, shaking his head.

“Okay… Okay.  So, let’s think about this,” said Alya standing up.  She started pacing.  “I was watching that fight pretty closely.  She was _using_ it to do stuff to Ladybug and Chat Noir, or… Actually, from what I saw, they were just there to give her someone to beat up and they got away from her, but… The point is, it looked like what she did came out of the… ball.  So… Whatever’s happening to her, right now, it has to end eventually, right?  Because… Yeah, the second she was distracted, she dropped Ladybug and Chat Noir.  Marinette’s, like… a battery, right now.  If she just runs down her charge…”

“But, dude, there were like, a _hundred_ nightmares!” said Nino, “She could be stuck in there for hours, or…” he trailed off.

The conversions were nigh-impossible with how few of the facts they had, but there had been a _lot_ of power in there.

“What if…  What if we get the real Ladybug, have her _actually_ use her lucky charm, and fix Marinette up?  That would work, right?” SheNino.

Adrien didn’t respond, eyeing Marinette’s earrings.

_She wouldn’t want him to reveal her identity just to get her out of this, right?_

No.

“I…  I’m sure it would,” he said, trying not to mention that they wouldn’t be able to make it happen.

“The problem, though,” said Alya, “is that she didn’t show up in the first place.  I’d think that Hawkmoth had somehow gotten them already, but then why have the villain?  Or… Or they could have gotten trapped in nightmares, but wouldn’t they have transformed once they got out?”

Adrien bit his lip as Alya groaned in frustration.  Alya had made the mistake of assuming that Ladybug had thought she was free to transform.  If he’d just told her… But he hadn’t, and it was too late now.

“Alright.  Alright.  So,” said Alya, stopping her pacing, “hopefully, she’s in the area.  If she is, maybe I can get her to come back here.  With any luck, we won’t have to find out how long it would take for this to wear off.”

She turned.  “Someone needs to stay here, and make sure she’s okay, but…”  She looked at Nino.

Adrien got the impression he was missing a silent conversation, and then Nino nodded.

“Alright.  Adrien?  Keep her safe.”

He blinked, unsure what exactly she thought he’d _need_ to protect her from, but…

He nodded.

“Alright.  With any luck, we’ll be back in a few minutes.”

They pushed out of the door, and Adrien was alone.

Off on a useless errand.

A useless errand he couldn’t _tell_ them was useless without breaking the cardinal superhero rule.

And now what?

“Plagg?”

“Mm…?” said Plagg, flitting into sight.

“Ideas?”

Plagg shrugged, and Adrien groaned.

Fantastic.  Of all the possible kwamis, the one he had was…

_Wait._

He blinked.

“Tikki?”

No response.

“Hey, Sugarcube, they’re gone, and he knows you’re here anyway.”

A small, red shape floated away from Marinette.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?”

Plagg laughed.

“Listen.  You guys heard all of that, right?  Marinette’s trapped in who knows _what_ kind of nightmare, and…  None of us know how long it’ll be before she can wake up.  It’s looking like… Like quite a while.”

Tikki nodded, solemnly.

“I understand.  The _easiest_ way to fix it would be… Well…”

“ _’Miraculous Ladybug,’_ ” said Adrien.

“Exactly, but if you do that, she’ll wake up to the sight of a Ladybug she doesn’t recognize, and you’d either need to leave, or make it obvious that you knew who she was.”

“And either way, she’d probably figure out it was me, and _who else_ knows that Marinette is Ladybug?  Chat Noir,” he finished.

Stupid secret identities.  For the hundredth time, he wondered if they were even _worth_ it.

But they mattered to her, so they mattered to him.

“A good cataclysm could do it too,” said Plagg, a trifle defensively.

They both looked at him.

“I mean,” he said, shrugging, “targeting something _inside_ of a person can be tricky, but if you hit it, you wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore.”

 _“And if I didn’t hit it,”_ said Adrien, not even daring to finish the thought.

“I’m just saying.”

He groaned.

“So, I can’t use either Miraculous to fix this.”

Tikki shook her head.

“Okay, what about normal, human things?  Do you know anything about what would normally stop an Akuma like this?”

“Yeahhhno,” said Plagg.  “Some things have like a true love’s kiss or whatever, but there’s not exactly a _thing_ for waking up from a nightmare.  I mean, like, except shaking her, but that didn’t work.”

He groaned, laying a hand on her again.

//

_He almost gasps._

_Even with this degree of separation, it feels like his stomach is sinking resolutely through his feet._

_Definitely a nightmare._

_She defeated the villain, so why is she facing this down alone?_

_The worst part is he can feel it.  He can feel the chill in her hand, and the raw_ something.

_But all he can do is feel it._

_“Plagg,” he says, “there’s no way I can tell her she’s… okay, right?”_

_Plagg considers, and shakes his head._

_“I mean, the thing is, if she was looking for it, and she was concentrating,_ maybe? _Usually the thing you’ve got gets strong enough to… talk back, but not for a while.”_

 _“What it comes down to is that humans are so busy being_ inside _themselves that they can’t feel what’s outside,” continues Tikki.  “If she was drunk, she could probably hear you, or if she was in an extremely vulnerable position.”_

_Adrien groans again, and closes his eyes._

_Extremely vulnerable position?  Like… Like what?_

_Like sleeping._

_He remembers something that feels like months ago, now._

A planet, disintegrating into a blinding light… A black hole.

_“Oh, that’s bad,” mutters Plagg._

_He opens his eyes.  He needs to, what, fall asleep?_

_“Plagg,” he says, but both kwamis are gone._

_And then he realizes why._

_A tiny, gently glowing butterfly flaps lightly down into the room._

_What did he say?  You could share dreams?_

_He needs to fall asleep, or_ something, _because—_

//

He pulled away, and batted it away.

It flapped lightly away, but barely seemed to think before coming back.

As calmly as he could manage, he tried to keep it away.

The problem, of course, was that he didn’t know whether he could damage it, or what would happen if he crushed it.  Would it get _him_?

_He needed to wake her up, now, or reassure her about whatever fate the leftover nightmare was putting her through, but how was he supposed to do that if he needed to be asleep first?_

She couldn’t hear him.  He was stuck outside, and—

The butterfly made it past him.

He spun, grabbing frantically, but it slipped too far away, and as he lunged forward, he tripped, barely managing to keep his feet.

And then the butterfly had landed on her charm bracelet, _the one he’d given her,_ and sunk into it.

He stared, as…

As Marinette _fizzed._   Or… Sparked?

Wisps of dark energy were… dissipating?

The… Nightmare.

He blinked, frantically processing it.

It was like Hawkmoth’s arrived had…

_‘Extremely vulnerable.’_

His mouth moved silently.

Hawkmoth had opened a door.

Marinette had been locked down, before, but as Hawkmoth had found a way into her mind, the nightmare had found a way _out._

And… If the nightmares could follow Hawkmoth’s path _out…_

He grabbed her other wrist, and ignored the sensation like an electric current up his wrist.

//

_…He can find a way in._

_The nightmare seeps out, crackling up his arm, but he grits his teeth and bears it._

_He can_ feel _Hawkmoth, like an echo down endless halls, and somehow, even though he could feel Marinette’s emotions before, he feels… even closer?_

 _So…  If he_ should _be able to share dreams with her if he’s sleeping, and... And he's not sleeping...  Maybe Hawkmoth can make up the difference_ for _him._

 _He closes his eyes, and_ looks.

_There’s a flicker of something, even with his eyes closed._

_“Marinette?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect the bit about dream-sharing from the very beginning to be important, but boy howdy, it's made a comeback.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's resolve is wavering.  
> Adrien fights through the pain.
> 
> Also, does anyone know how to treat superficial second degree burns?
> 
> Lightning strikes, maybe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was hard to write; getting things to flow in a way that didn't make things feel sudden was a bit of a trick, but I'm happy with how it turned out.

Marinette’s head was _far_ from clear, but she knew for a fact that Adrien shouldn’t have been here.

“Marinette,” he repeated, and she felt that same rush of feeling.

“Wh- What?” she managed to say aloud.

“You know what will happen if you don’t accept,” said Hawkmoth, in her head, seemingly not noticing Adrien.

“What are you…”  What little of the text she read echoed through her head.  “What are you doing here, Adrien?”

\--

//

 _From an external perspective, all he’s_ doing _is muttering under his breath while his hands and wrists slowly burn from the contact with escaping nightmares._

 _It’s like… Like holding onto something hanging a_ bit _too close to a fire._

 _From an_ internal _perspective…_

_“I’m here to help you, Marinette.”_

_With his eyes closed, he can see her, seated, swaying slightly._

_She barely manages a coherent response at first, just letting out a quiet, grumbling sound._

_Her mind feels like it’s trying to function while submerged in tar; dreaming would mess up cognitive thought plenty, even without Hawkmoth there.  And_ with _Hawkmoth there…_

_Finally, she responds._

_“No, you’re not.”_

_Of all the responses he might have expected…_

_“Wh-  What?”_

_She stands up._

_“I said,” she says, stepping towards him, “no, you’re not.”_

_As if in response, there’s a voice._

_“Well?  You only have so much time before it is too late to fix things.”_

_Adrien shivers._

_Hawkmoth’s voice, despite the fact that he’s only heard it a handful of times, feels unnervingly familiar (probably a side-effect of it speaking directly into her mind), and it’s all the more chilling for it._

_Marinette groans, putting a hand up to her head._

_It’s like… Like…_

_//_

_\--_

Like she was _missing_ something.

She didn’t see the butterfly arrive.  She didn’t see _Adrien_ arrive.

The day had gone so _wrong,_ and after all that, now _this?_

The worst part was, Hawkmoth was right; the longer she waited, the less time she would have tothwart Lila’s plans, and the less time she’d have to figure out _how_ to do it.

If she hesitated in the vague hope of picking out what seems _wrong_ about the situation, who was to say she’d even be _able_ to stop her?

 “Hawkmoth—

 _“Wait!”_ said Adrien, rushing forward.

She groaned, this time in annoyance.

“Why are you so sure I’m not here to help?”

She had the choice between heartbreak and anger.

Heartbreak wasn’t an option, right now.

“You tell me.”  She shoved the phone into his chest, and he staggered back.

There was no other option, was there?

“Marinette, this isn’t… I didn’t send this!”

 _“Really?_   Sent from _your_ number, after you were trying to say _exactly_ that earlier today?”

“I-  What!?  No!”

_“You should have known, Adrien!  It was your idea to go after her, and then, less than a week later, she’s already got you thinking she’s your friend?”_

“Wh-  Wait.  Lila?”

“Who else!?”

_“I believe I’ve already mentioned that you only had so much time…”_

\--

Hawkmoth was frankly _impressed._

She was living her nightmare, and, presumably, facing that peculiar certainty dreamers always seemed to have; which was to say, that they were awake, and everything that was happening made sense.

Yet, somehow, she was still holding on; For that matter, she’d been holding on for quite some _time_ now.

He could feel her resolve buckling under the stress, but for _some_ reason, even as she slid inevitably closer to accepting, it was so _slow._

Still, even at this rate, he’d have time to _spare,_ and there was little chance of her suddenly managing to break out sooner; thankfully, for all her strength and determination, she didn’t have Ms. Bourgeois’ raw _nerve._ If she had… Well, the nightmare would likely collapse.

All he had to do was _wait._

\--

//

_Marinette cringes away at Hawkmoth’s voice, and he feels the… Anxiety?  Fear?  Whatever it is, he’s not sure it’s because it’s Hawkmoth._

_It seems to be because she agrees._

_She sighs, and he feels her sinking even more._

_Surely there can’t be that much more nightmare to-_

_At the thought, he remembers the burning in his hand, and with all the subtlety of a freight train, the pain reasserts itself, and he fights the urge to scream._

_No…_

_No._

_He sucks in a breath, and tightens his grip._

_He needs to keep her talking.  There’s some way out of this, and he’s not going to let her go that easily._

_“Marinette…  Marinette!  I know Lila’s evil!  That’s why we exposed her lies to the class!”_

_“So why are there pictures of the two of you!?  ‘Nothing like a visit from a friend?’  Really?”_

_“Wh-  What are you talking about?”_

_“Did you forget that I follow you?”_

_He glances down at the phone, and, finally putting together what she must mean, taps the app over._

_“That’s…  These pictures aren’t real, Marinette.”_

_She groans.  “What, so Lila somehow made perfect fake pictures, and then uploaded them to your account?  Or did Hawkmoth Akumatize her into doing it just to get_ me? _Whatever she told you about her ‘false confession,’ I’d have thought you’d know by now that that’s not how Hawkmoth works.”_

_Akumatize._

_Of course._

_“Marinette, you…  Please tell me, you remember the nightmare Akuma, right?”_

_She rolls her eyes.  “Yeah?  And you just ran off after ‘a friend,’ afterwards.  Was_ that _Lila, too?”_

 _“I…  I went for_ you, _Marinette.  You still haven’t woken up.”_

_The sinking stops outright._

_“What?”_

//

\--

Hawkmoth blinked.

It felt like tripping and breaking your nose at the goal line.

One good push, and she’d crack; he knew it.

And yet, _somehow,_ she’d managed to catch herself, and…

No.

She’s pulling back.

A bare inch recovered, if distances had any meaning in this case.

No.

She’s too close.

One good push.

\--

“I said,” said Adrien, “that you’re still asleep.”

She…

She wanted to believe it.

It’s been a nightmare of a day.

Maybe…  Maybe if she waited, nothing worse than waking up would happen, and she’d be safe, and-

 _“I’m a busy man,”_ said Hawkmoth, his voice simultaneously everywhere, and _nowhere, “and if you truly believe you can face what is to come, unaided, then perhaps I should leave you to it.”_

But…  But she knew what it felt like to be awake, and, this?  This was what it felt like.

_“5.”_

“Marinette, please,” said Adrien, almost desperately, “you’re dreaming.”

_“4.”_

She took a breath.  “No…  No.  No, I’m not.  You’re…  You’re just trying to stop me from getting Akumatized.”

_“3.”_

“Of course I am!  But I’m not _lying_ to you!”

_“2.”_

“I wish I could believe that, Adrien, but after what I’ve heard today, I don’t know what to believe.”

_“1.”_

“Marinette, please, I’m begging you.”

She turned away.

“Hawkmoth? –”

_“Ladybug!”_

The words, ‘I accept,’ died on her lips.

She turned.

 _“I can’t do this,”_ said Chat Noir, his arm outstretched.

Her breath caught in her throat.

She was running out of…

She was..

She…

She swayed dangerously on her feet.

The words echoed in her head.

_No matter what._

_She wouldn’t let herself be turned against Chat Noir._

_She wouldn’t!_

Her fists clenched at her side.

\--

//

_His vision goes white, and it’s not from the dream._

_He tries to resist the urge to scream, with limited success, as the raw pain in his hand finally intensifies beyond his ability to fight through it._

_Despite his best intentions, he pulls away._

//

His eyes opened in earnest as he fell back onto the floor.  His hand felt like it was on fire, but Marinette seemed to be a _storm._   He pulled further away, trying to keep his hand off the ground as the raw, reckless energy flooded out of her sitting form with a sound that he didn’t have a word for.

As he backed into the other examination table, he realized that underneath the incalculable _noise_ …  Was Marinette.  He didn’t know whether it was a scream of pain, defiance, or both.

Then, as quickly as it started, the storm was _gone,_ and Marinette’s voice faded out a mere second afterwards.

She stopped, breathing hard, eyes wild.

Then, simply, almost without expression…

“Get out.”

And…

The butterfly flapped out of her Lucky Charm, and, slowly…  Slowly made for the window it had entered from.

For a second, everything was quiet, and then the pain burned in his hand again, and he let out a pained moan.

She turned to look at him.

There was a long, silent moment…

And then Alya and Nino burst through the door.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien handles the situation while Marinette tries to remember.
> 
> Really, she should probably get a dream journal.

_“What happened in here?_ ” said Alya, _“Why is there- What- Why?”_

Adrien and Marinette looked at each other.

Adrien, for his part, wasn’t surprised they’d run in; his ears were ringing after the storm, and judging by how quickly they’d arrived, they’d _definitely_ been close enough to hear it.

“Uh, dudes, is that butterfly supposed to be leaving?”

Marinette looked back out the window.

“I… I think it’s fine?”

“She didn’t get transformed,” said Adrien, shaking his head.  “After the whole Stoneheart thing, they turned into copies of him, but… It’s not like there’s anything for them to _copy,_ even.”

\--

“I… Right, of course, but…”

Alya had too much to focus on.

Did she look at the out of breath look on Marinette’s face, or the way the examination table around her seemed to have been ripped into, or the way that the edges of her sleeves were frayed and torn., or the butterfly leaving out the window, or Adrien sitting on the ground, or the hand that he was holding _very_ close to his chest, or…?

“Are you okay?” she said, not sure whether it was directed at one or both of them.

Marinette shrugged in a way that seemed to communicate that she could be worse.

Adrien tried to offer a similar report, but it was ruined slightly, by the fact that his face twisted in pain as he shrugged.

“I might have gotten a little too close,” he said, shrugging, holding up his hand.

Alya sucked in a breath, and Nino let out a sympathetic ‘ _ooh.’_

It put her in mind of nothing more than what happened when you tried to hold onto an angry cat, if you had continued to hold onto said cat for a while after it had started scratching.

The skin was raw and red, in a way that would have been bad enough, even _without_ the dozens of long, jagged scratches that traced lines across the back of his hand, and up to his wrist.

“I mean,” he said, with a weak smile, “I’ll probably be fine with just some bandages, right?”

“At least we’re in the nurse’s office, right?” said Nino.  “There’s gotta be some stuff in here for that.”

“Yeah…” said Marinette, looking at his hand, and then, absently, “but your father probably won’t be happy about it…”

\--

Marinette’s first thought as she’d woken up had been getting Hawkmoth’s Akuma _away_ from her.

And then, she’d looked at Adrien, and she’d wanted to say…

Something.

There’d been something important she’d meant to tell him, or, ask him, or…

It had been something to do with her dream, she knew that, but the problem was when she’d been turning to say it to him, the memory had already been hazy in her mind, but then Alya and Nino had come in, and it felt like she’d dropped something.

She sat there, idly patting Alya on the back as she’d wrapped her in what was a slightly _less_ deadly hug now that she was far stronger than before, and trying to remember what she’d been missing.

Let’s see…

Adrien had been _in_ the dream, right?

 _Right,_ because he’d just kind of shown up, in… honestly, he’d apparently _literally_ appeared, in retrospect, but that was dreams for you.

She’d been… Angry at him?  Because apparently, he was friends with Lila now, which was frankly ridiculous.

Well…

Apparently, it hadn’t seemed ridiculous at the time, since Hawkmoth had almost Akumatized her over it, but that was just how dreams _went._ Everything made sense until the _exact_ moment you woke up.

Like…

Like the bit at the end, when Chat Noir had been there, and called her ‘Ladybug,’ which had…

He’d called her _Ladybug._

She’d _responded_ to it.

If Hawkmoth had _heard_ it, then…

She shivered, slightly.

But…

Had he ever responded to Adrien’s presence?  No, right?  He’d known what had _happened,_ apparently, but even then, it hadn’t seemed like…  No.  He would have _said_ something when Chat Noir had called her Ladybug, right?

So…  She sighed.  She couldn’t _do_ anything about it, except hope that he didn’t know.

But _that_ hadn’t been what she’d been thinking about, had it?

It hadn’t been, but her mind finally managed to get traction on what she’d forgotten about.

Chat Noir had shown up.

Where Adrien had been.

She couldn’t remember whether it had been _actually_ Chat Noir, or Adrien, who she had somehow, through dream logic _known_ was Chat Noir.  Either one sounded right.

Either way, in the instant it had happened, she’d been too busy thinking about the fact that she couldn’t fight Chat Noir to consider that Adrien had been Chat Noir, but then she’d woken up, and…

She nodded, slowly, satisfied; she’d been struck by that momentary belief in her dreams that you sometimes got after waking up from a particularly vivid one.

Because Adrien couldn’t be Chat Noir.  She _knew_ that, and…

And…

‘He’d gotten too close,’ was what he’d said, with his cat-scratch injuries.  They _did_ remind her a bit of a cataclysm, all chaotic and twisting, but the injuries, nasty as they were, didn’t draw her attention as much as…

The ring he was wearing.  She’d never really paid attention to it, assuming it was something to do with his family; an heirloom, or something.

Of course, it didn’t look like Chat Noir’s…

But her earrings didn’t look like Ladybug’s.

This sounded suspiciously like that time Alya had been convinced that Chloe was Ladybug.

But…

If she was playing devil’s advocate, _trying_ to ‘prove’ that Adrien was Chat Noir, she’d say that…  That maybe he’d gotten that injury from _purposefully_ being too close, and trying to pull her out.  That _would_ neatly explain why the Adrien in her dream had acted so different from how he ‘should’ have acted.  It had been the _real_ Adrien.

Alya was neatly and efficiently bandaging the hand up, with Nino’s help.

And, naturally, there was the fact that Adrien really _did_ look an awful lot like Chat Noir.

The idea settled on her mind like snowflakes…

…

She shook her head.

Except, of course, she’d _literally_ seen them in the same place.  Sure, she hadn’t seen Adrien’s _face_ at the time, but after Gorizilla had attacked, he’d been wearing the motorcycle helmet and the right shirt, and…

Of course, if Adrien had given someone the helmet and…

And his shirt…

With the mighty strength of a girl who had just thrown off Hawkmoth’s influence, Marinette put the image from her head.

And, _and,_ if she was talking about that _particular_ day, that would mean that Chat Noir had decided, after falling _that_ far down the building, with certain death at the bottom, to _not_ transform.  At that point, he’d better _not_ be Adrien, because she’d kill him for being _that_ idiotic.

Or…  Or that trusting.

She looked at Adrien, who was abashedly apologizing to his friends for getting in zapping range.

She searched his eyes, and…

He made eye contact with her, and she practically _jumped._

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.  Okay.

Okay.

 

Okay.

 

This was…

Worryingly plausible.

Just… Just account for the differences in personality as being from…  Cat-based madness, and…

 _“Mmmmm…”_ she said, under her breath, more a distressed rumble than a sound.

She sure hoped this wasn’t a cat+bag situation.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette tries to stop thinking.
> 
> It's not working.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter this time, but that's mostly because Marinette has a rambling monologue that would fill up like 3-4X the space if it was done as an actual conversation.

Adrien had to leave pretty quickly, which didn’t surprise any of them; the school had been almost entirely empty when Marinette had woken up, and there was no doubt that Adrien’s ride would be arriving soon.

Alya and Nino stuck with Marinette after that, to make sure she was okay, even going so far as to walk her home, before she managed to politely imply that she would be best suited by taking a nap (a real one, that was), just to reset her mind after everything that had happened.

That was largely true, though it kind of skipped over what she was _actually_ trying to forget about.

 _Riposte had attacked, she’d put Adrien in a sarcophagus, and he’d been gone when she’d looked for him, and_ then _Chat Noir had shown up_

Coincidence.

_Adrien had a twisted ankle, and then so had Chat Noir._

She groaned, trying to get the thoughts in her head to stop flowing.

“Marinette?” said Tikki, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said, “Fine!  Just wondering how many coincidences is too many.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just thinking about how Chat Noir found out who I was and was really insistent on me being okay with him getting together with me if I didn’t know it was actually him—” she buried her face into her pillow, and continued, voice slightly muffled, _“—And then Adrien suddenly being friendlier than usual and Chat Noir not showing up to fight a supervillain when Adrien was stuck with me the whole time, and also how the same thing happened when Gorizilla attacked and Adrien was stuck with me and I was stuck with Adrien, and then Chat Noir said that he was sure Adrien was okay and Adrien was only visibly from like the torso up and had his face completely hidden and how Adrien occasionally makes bad puns and Chat Noir sometimes says really sweet earnest things and Adrien was in my dream and then he was Chat Noir and Adrien’s hand was hurt afterwards and Chat Noir has to touch people to feel their emotions and Adrien was wearing a ring and it didn’t look like Chat Noir’s but my earrings don’t look like Ladybug’s even though I’m Ladybug.”_

She shrugged vaguely into her pillow, and twisted her head to look at Tikki.

“You know?  Coincidences?”

“Do you think Chat Noir is secretly Adrien?” asked Tikki, as if she’d never even considered the idea.

 _“You know who he is anyway!”_ said Marinette, voice coming out a little more cracked than she’d meant it to be.

For a second, Tikki seemed even more surprised, and then, her expression softened.

“Yes.  I do.  And you know I can’t tell you.”

“Yeah…”

“I can’t tell you if someone _is_ Chat Noir, and I don’t want to lie to you if you guess correctly.  So… If you get it wrong, I can’t tell you that either, or you’ll know that you’ve got it right when I don’t tell you anything!”

Marinette chuckled, a bit weakly.  “Right.”

Then...  She sighed.

“And… I know I’m not supposed to be thinking about it, and I’m _trying_ not to think about it, but it keeps popping up.  Like…  It sounds almost _too_ obvious, but if it was that obvious, wouldn’t have I already figured it out?  And if…  If…  Okay…  Okay.  I’m… I’m just going to go to sleep, now, and maybe when I make up, it’ll turn out that it was stupid to think it in the first place.”

She plunged her face back into her pillow.

 

Okay.  Now she just needed to sleep, and then she’d wake up, and-

_“I can’t do this.”_

Marinette’s eyes snapped open, still pressed into her pillow.

Fantastic.  Absolutely fantastic.

Of all the parts of her dream that could stick vividly in her mind, it had to be the bit where Chat Noir was terrified of fighting her.

 _Terrified of losing her,_ supplied a small bit of her mind; probably the same bit that had suggested Adrien had given his shirt away to conceal his identity.

_“I can’t do this.”_

She’d felt a rush of concerned emotion when Adrien had first appeared, but when he’d said… _that…_

Well.

He’d said it like someone might have said…

Like someone might have said ‘I love you.’

And, the worst part was, she really _didn’t_ know whether she’d just suddenly ‘known’ he was Chat Noir, or if he’d _looked_ like Chat Noir, which meant she could see both of them, in stereo.

The image of Adrien looking at her like _that…_

She curled in on herself, letting out an involuntary hum.

She’d said she couldn’t imagine Adrien doing _half_ of the things that Chat Noir did, but…

She could imagine Chat Noir saying that he was ‘a fan of her parents’ work.’

She could imagine Adrien, who never had the chance to leave his home, delighted at the prospect of being thrown across the city.

She could imagine Chat Noir running out in front of a villain to keep his friend safe, even without powers.

She could imagine Adrien being so worried about putting too much on her plate that he fell asleep on her balcony instead of telling her he knew who she was.

She could…

She could…

She remembered that she was supposed to be _against_ the idea of Adrien being Chat Noir.

It would mean that _both_ of their identities were compromised.  She was supposed to believe that they _weren’t_ the same person, _especially_ if they were.

If she’d learned one thing from Lila, it was that if you _wanted_ something to be true, you’d believe it more easily, and conversely, that if you wanted to believe something _wasn’t_ true, the easiest way was to _hope_ it wasn’t.

Marinette was rapidly realizing that she’d failed step one, because…

Because she was starting to hope that Chat Noir really _was_ Adrien.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien explains some things, and makes a request.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one goes out to some of you worriers out there.

“What happened.”

“Ah…” said Adrien, a trifle abashed, looking down at his bandaged hand.  “Well…  Marinette… Kind of blew up?”

Nathalie quirked an eyebrow.

“She was having a nightmare!  I mean… Not normally, obviously, but, the villain that attacked made people have nightmares and then became more powerful from it, and Marinette absorbed all of the power, so _she_ had a nightmare.”

Nathalie’s expression didn’t change an iota.

“And…  And then Hawkmoth tried to akumatize her, except it didn’t work, and she… exploded.  My hand kind of… got burned from the nightmares.”

A long, long second passed, and though at first Nathalie seemed surprised, after that he couldn’t quite quantify the change in her expression.  She seemed to indescribably look more… _tired_ , maybe even verging on annoyed _._

“She blew up in your face because of Hawkmoth?”

“I… Yes?”

“I assume _she_ is well enough.”

“Oh, I… I think she’s fine, just… a bit shaken.”

“Of course.”

Nathalie reached up a hand, and pinched at the bridge of her nose, and Adrien remembered how unusually tired she’d been recently.

“Will this interfere with your studies?”

Adrien, though not the most adept at reading people without inside information, knew what _that_ one meant.

_‘Will I have to tell your father?’_

He hesitated, then…

“No.”

“Good, then I recommend you attend to them.  Most of your schedule has been moved up to compensate for the cancellation of school.”  She gave him a steady look.  “There is no extra material planned if you finish early.”

Which meant if he was quick…

He looked up, to see her walking away.

 _“Ah!  Nathalie?”_ he called.

She turned.

“I… I don’t suppose…  Marinette, I… I kind of had to leave before I was really sure she was okay.  Do you think it would be okay if, maybe I… Went to check up on her?  _After,_ I have everything else done, obviously.”

There was a long silence, and he could practically _hear_ the slow ticking of Nathalie’s mind.

“Ask again after dinner,” she said, eventually, and turned heel, and left.

Adrien stood there, for a second, unable to parse whether she’d left the possibility open simply to motivate him to get his work done, or whether…

Maybe?

He wouldn’t find out by waiting around.

\--

As Nathalie went to offer a report, she couldn’t help being at least a _little_ grateful that Mr. Agreste only rarely spoke with his son.

Frankly, she didn’t want to deal with how he’d probably react if he found out that Adrien had gotten hurt _by one of his own akumas_ at school.

Well…

Considering he’d willingly let him be thrown off a building, and hadn’t minded Riposte aiming to cut him down, _this_ probably wouldn’t be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Still, better not to risk it; the mess it would cause if he _did_ try to take Adrien out of school might _actually_ be too much for her, especially with how tired she’d been, recently.

She was beginning to understand why Emilie still hadn’t woken up…  Occasionally, after a too-long day at work, she envied her the chance to sleep indefinitely.

But…

But that wasn’t what she’d been thinking about.

She’d been thinking about…

“She didn’t listen,” said Gabriel, eyes closed as he massaged his temples with one hand.

“Sir?”

“That girl,” he said, “this marks the third time she has _failed_ to be akumatized.”

Nathalie didn’t respond.

Sure enough, he continued.

“The first time, I was able to use the Akuma to create Zombizou.  The second time, Chameleon.  This time…  There were no suitable candidates.”

“Mm.”

“She would make a powerful ally, if she were not resolutely set against me.” He said, more conversationally than anything, and then grimaced, holding a bit tighter to his head.

“Are you okay, sir?”

He scoffed, waving a hand at her.  “A headache, nothing more.  She was trapped in a nightmare when I contacted her, and the Akuma acted as a conduit, to some extent.”

“You had a nightmare then, sir?” she said, masked the curiosity as uncertainty.

“No, no.  _She_ had a nightmare.  Something to do with Miss Rossi, I believe.”

“I see.”

There was a silence.

“It should have worked; even without manual intervention, the nightmare should have taken a form capable of the most harm she could imagine.”

“Perhaps she simply couldn’t imagine anything bad enough to make her accept your terms,” offered Nathalie.

He shook his head.  “She was in the process of accepting when she finally rejected me entirely.  It shouldn’t have been possible.”

“Then…” she said, “perhaps it would be wise to have Adrien investigate.”

He looked at her.

“It seems he was there while she was unconscious, and still has doubts about whether she’s truly okay.  I believe you may have a common interest?”

There was a long silence.

“I see,” he said, eventually.

“This would be Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”

For an instant, he furrowed his brow, and then, “The one who designed the feather hat.”

“Yes sir.”

He smiled, almost imperceptibly.

“And her family?”

“Bakers, sir.  Very well respected.  We’ve contracted them on multiple occasions.”

Gabriel seemed to consider something, and then the smile widened, in what wasn’t _quite_ a devious way.  The words ‘a powerful ally,’ seemed to echo in Nathalie’s mind.

“Well then, I see no reason why Adrien shouldn’t be allowed to make sure this friend of his is well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your annually scheduled reminder that despite the fact that he acts like the name Agreste is some ancient noble lineage, Gabriel Agreste is 1st generation rich, and also a pragmatic bastard.
> 
>  
> 
> What I'm saying is that Marinette is, on net, probably higher class than Adrien.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette continues to resolve some feelings.
> 
> Adrien realizes that he's up against his greatest challenge yet.

When Marinette woke up, it was almost _nervously_.

Her wakeups, after all, hadn’t exactly been the most _restful_ recently.

But, this time, she woke up from her nap, and though her nerves were prickling, they settled after a second.

She felt… Peaceful.

So…  What?  It was Tuesday?  Thursday?

She laughed, gently.

Right.  She’d thought it was Thursday when she’d been _dreaming._

No.  Definitely Tuesday.

It had been… Exactly one week since this whole mess had kicked off, hadn’t it.

Wow.

Long week.

“It’s really only been a week, hasn’t it,” she said.

Tikki, in the niche behind her head, made an affirmative noise.

“Honestly, it’s felt like _months,_ ” said Marinette.

Just one week ago, she’d developed literal, actual _superstrength._

Absolutely surreal.

Now, a _week_ later, she’d tripped into Adrien-

Her mind tripped as it got to that, because…

Right.

Well, there went the hope that sleeping would erase everything she’d been thinking when she’d fallen asleep.

It felt like falling asleep had smashed her train of thought, but now, the very _instant_ she’d remembered it, it had all started clicking inexorably back together.

And now…  Here she was.

“Well, Tikki,” she said.

“Mm?”

“What do you think the odds are that Chat Noir comes by to visit, tonight?”

Tikki giggled.

“Do you want him to?”

Did she want Chat Noir to visit…?

She shifted in her bed, a smile playing on her lips.

“Maybe.”

“Would you still want him to visit if you didn’t think he was Adrien?”

“Hmm…”

It bore thinking about, but…

“I think so,” she said.

“Well…” said Tikki, and Marinette heard a note of satisfaction in her voice, “then maybe it won’t matter if you’re wrong.”

Marinette leaned back in her bed.

“Maybe.”

So…  What?  Had the mere _idea_ of Chat Noir being Adrien just, made her fall in love with him?

The thought made her smile, of course, but what if it had been… What if she woke up tomorrow, and couldn’t imagine it anymore?

But…  The problem with that thought was…  The reason she’d finally connected the two was the same reason she was finally losing her ability to deny that she really _did_ like Chat Noir.

There was _overlap._

There was… A _lot_ of overlap.

When she’d first gotten home, she’d spent plenty of time thinking about times when Adrien and Chat Noir had been in the wrong place for where they should have been, or the _right_ place for where the _other_ should have been.

And then…  As her will to deny it had failed her, she’d started making… _subtler_ connections.

Things like that particular way both of them scratched the back of their necks when they were uncertain, or those few inexplicable times when Adrien had made cat puns, despite there being no cats around.

Or, just recently, the way Adrien had told the villain to get away from Chloe.  ‘Bold words.’  If she could see what had happened in her dream as Adrien _or_ Chat Noir, she could barely even see _Adrien_ for that one.

Or, Chat Noir’s hesitant uncertainty in trying to tell her that he knew who she was, which felt uncomfortably close to Adrien’s inability to stand up to his own father.

It was definitely the nap speaking, but it definitely felt like the warm, cozy nest of blankets she was in would be improved significantly by the addition of an extra member.

She blinked at the thought, face going red.

Alright.

That seemed like a definite sign that she needed to get up and possibly splash some cold water on her face, because _that_ had been worse than the thought she’d had about Adrien potentially giving his shirt to someone so they could pretend to be him; that one had at least made _sense_ in the context of her thought process, while this one…

Yeah, she needed some cold water.

She slipped down the ladder, and into the bathroom.

She closed the door behind her, and locked it.

Okay.

She set the water running, and let the sleep seep out of her and into the air.

So…

By the light through the window, and the time of year… It had to be what, 6?  6:30?

Really, she should probably be getting some _dinner_ about now, or at _least_ a drink.

She reached her hands down into the frigid water, and, wincing at the chill, splashed it across her face.

She straightened up, blinking, and slowly, let out a sigh.

That was better; finally, after feeling half-asleep since escaping her nightmare, she truly felt like she was _awake._

Now.  Time to make something to eat, _definitely_ get something to drink, and she’d be well on her way to a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

She walked out the door, and turned towards the kitchen…

Adrien was on the steps up to her room.

As she looked, he knocked lightly on the door upwards, still clearly unaware of her presence.

She stood there, for a second.

Had it not been for the still-vivid memory of the water on her face, she’d have pinched herself, because…

Well, because _what was Adrien doing here?_

As it was, she could still only _barely_ believe the evidence of her eyes.

As she looked, he knocked lightly.

 _“Marinette?”_ he said, and, at the lack of a response, hesitated.

She crept closer, not sure whether she should say something.

_No, of course she should say something._

For the first time in _ages,_ she had the drop on _him,_ and she hadn’t _frozen_ , which meant she just needed to get close enough, and then say something…  Something dashing, and charming.  She was _going_ to turn that Chat Noir original charm back on him. (Or on him in the first place, she amended, out of respect for her lack of total certainty)

She was just behind him, now, and all she needed was a good line.

Something like…

She tripped over her over her own feet, and fell forward.

\--

There was a _yelp_ , and Adrien barely had time to turn his head before his shins were smashed against the steps, and—

//

 _By now, he_ knows _what Marinette feels like, and_ this _is her.  Of course, it helps that there’s nobody else who would make logical sense to be tripping into him in this house, but…_

 _He feels an almost_ cocky _level of confidence drain away, to be replaced by…_

 _He’s almost_ proud _to feel, rather than panic, mere_ disappointment.

_“Hey Marinette!” he says._

_“Oh…  Hi, Adrien,” she says, pulling away._

//

“Well,” he said, turning around on the steps, “I guess you weren’t in your room, then.”

She laughed, “No, no…  I mean, I _was,_ but I’d actually just gotten up and I was going to get some dinner and something to drink because I…”  She cleared her throat, “It definitely felt like I’d been in bed too long.”

“I see,” he said, though he was a bit unclear on what she’d be referring to.

He took a step down, and grunted in pain as his shins _pinged_ reminded him of what had just happened.

Marinette grimaced.  “Sorry.”

He laughed.  “Trust me, I’ve had _way_ worse.  I’ll be fine.  Actually, I was here to make sure _you_ were alright.  It’d be kind of strange to get the whole thing twisted around.”

“Ah, oh,” she said, surprised, but only for a second.  “Well, I suppose that makes as much sense as anything.”

_As much sense as anything…_

Well, it wasn’t to say he couldn’t have his own ulterior motives for _after_ he knew she was okay, but it would be in bad taste to try anything daring _before_ making sure she was alright.

“So?” he said, “how are you feeling, Marinette?”

“Well…” she said, stepping into the kitchen-proper.  He could hear her hesitating, and, for a second, had the terrible feeling that she’d have grim tidings for him.

Then…

“Much better, since you arrived,” she said, turning to give him a gentle smile.

“ _Ahh,”_ he managed, and then, “Th-  Thank you?”

There was an instant of pause, and he knew something was coming.

Then, she turned to face him properly, and, _grinning,_ said, “Oh come on, Adrien, you already _know,_ you _told me._   You don’t thank someone for telling the truth.  It’s just what you’re supposed to do.”

Oh, he was _so_ dead.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien do battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some mood music for this chapter.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUmGVRbL_5A

Marinette smiled sweetly as his face turned bright red.

_This was payback, wasn’t it._

“Well,” he said, “that’s… Definitely something I told you, isn’t it.”

“Mhm,” she said, and just as he was mustering himself for a counter, she turned, back to the kitchen.  “Now…  I don’t suppose you’re hungry, are you?”

“Ah,” he said, the wind suddenly taken out of his sails. “Actually, I ate before I came here.”

\--

She was _barely_ getting away with it.  She could feel the raw embarrassment at channeling Chat Noir bubbling under the surface.

But she _was_ getting away with it.

“Well… That’s a shame,” she said, “because dinner last night was _delicious,_ and we have leftovers.”

There was a long silence, as she opened up the refrigerator.

“I’d hate to impose,” he said.

She laughed.

“Adrien.  You’ve _met_ my parents.  If either one of them was here, you know perfectly well that they’d _insist_ you had something.”

“Well…  Alright,” he said.

Her eyes closed for a second, as an idea hit her.

She shouldn’t say it, but…

“After all,” she said, managing to compose her face as she turned to face him, “you’re _quite a fan of their work, aren’t you?”_

\--

Yeah.

Yeah, she’d caught that one, and now she was making him pay for it.

Well…

Bring it on.

He took barely a glance at the container in her hand, before focusing his gaze resolutely on her face.

“Probably the _biggest_ fan.”

He could see the twist in her face.

_Nice._

“Well,” she said, recovering, “you’ll have to tell me how your _two_ _dinners_ compare.”

“You know, I have to say, I think the company is better for this one,” he said, “which is saying slightly more than usual, since Father actually showed up, tonight.”

Marinette’s eyes widened, slightly.

“Really?  That’s great, Adrien!”

He shrugged.  “When else was he going to tell me I could come check in on you?”

She laughed, slightly.  “And here was me thinking you’d snuck out to come see me.”

“Why would I need to sneak out when you’re already the kind of person Father would let me visit?”

Marinette raised her eyebrows.

“And what kind of person would that be?”

Oh yes.  He might just tilt things in his favor.

 

“Well…” he said, “High-class, pretty girls.”

Marinette blinked.

He shrugged.  “Chloe, Kagami… Even Lila pretended to be one.  I think he wants me to marry up, and secure the Agreste name, or something.”

What he wouldn’t have given to have a window into Marinette’s head right now.  Her expression was _blank._

“Marry… Up.”

Ah.

He smiled.  “Of course.”

The look was slightly incredulous.

She pointed a finger, slowly, at herself.

“Marry…  Up?”

She swung the finger around, as if to indicate the building.

“Marry up.”

He nodded.

She gave him an almost confused look.

“Well?” he said, laughing.  He didn’t even need to exaggerate, for this.  “You’re generations deep into a family of revered bakers on your father’s side, and your mother’s side isn’t exactly _weak._   When your great uncle was here, I asked him about his family, and apparently there are master chefs over there too!”

“I—” Marinette scoffed. “I know my family history, Adrien, but I fail to see how exactly that classifies as being _higher class._ Your father runs a popular fashion company.  You’re a _model,_ for goodness’ sake.”

“And?  There wasn’t a company before Father started it.  I might as well not _have_ grandparents, or, or even _any_ other extended family!  As for being a model, well…  I can barely believe that’s as respectable as being a baker, let alone _more_ respectable.   Besides, do you really think I’d be doing it if it wasn’t _my father_ running the company?  I’m convenient!”

“Oh.  Oh, _no,_ ” said Marinette, in the tones of someone saying, ‘Oh no you didn’t.’

“Even leaving _aside_ the fact that you’re _definitely_ good enough to be a model, I refuse to believe that ‘convenient’ is your best trait.  I got angry at you on your first day at school because you were trying to be _nice,_ and you _still_ decided we could be friends.  Even if you’re so sure that about my family being so good, you _still_ wouldn’t be marrying up!”

“Yeah right!” said Adrien, standing.  “You stand up to Chloe Bourgeois on a regular basis!  You kept your head while in the same _room_ as Lila while I was panicking on the next floor up on your behalf!  Everybody loves you, and everybody owes you for something!”

“Oh, right, and _nobody_ likes you,” said Marinette, rolling her eyes, “the handsome boy who managed to be _friends_ with Chloe.  Face it, Adrien, you walk into a room and it lights up, because you’re practically made of _sunshine.”_

"You want to talk about  _me_ lighting the room up?   _You're_ the one who brought down a supervillain who'd been leaving everyone trapped in their own  _nightmares!_ "

"Coming from the boy who practically challenged her to single combat to buy me time?  Face it, Adrien, if you hadn't been there, there's no  _way_ I'd have gotten away with it!"

“Yeah?  Yeah?  Well I can think of three people who’ve had crushes on you, _off the top of my head._ ”

“ _And I can think of three for you._   Plus, _plus,_ whole crowds of people chasing you down because they’re so enraptured with you.”

“That’s paparazzi!  That doesn’t count.”

“There was a helicopter, and-  You know what?  Fine!  There were whole crowds of people chasing you down, and your first concern was whether _I_ was uncomfortable with the fact that they probably thought I was your girlfriend!”

“And!?  You didn’t deserve to get pulled into that whole mess!”

“Oh, sure, yeah, right, and you did!?”

“I knew the risks going into it!  You just showed up, and even after they started following me, you stayed with me, and figured out a way to help me get where I wanted to go!”

“You say that like you didn’t get you hand halfway _shredded_ trying to wake me up!  You showed up at my house, after _you_ were the one who got hurt, had me ram your shins into the stairs, and you’re _still_ saying you’d be ‘marrying up.’  I’m telling you, you _wouldn’t_ be!”

_“I’d be marrying Ladybug!”_

_“And I’d be marrying Chat Noir!  What’s your point!?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'know, I thought this would be a good point to cut the chapter :)


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette come down from their moment of high tension with a bit of light reading.
> 
> Marinette tries twice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kindly imagine that they ended the last chapter frozen in Phoenix Wright-esque 'Objection!' poses.
> 
> Also, hoo boy, we are getting *close* to the end here. Like, I thought we were close at chapter 18, and then everything took *really long*.
> 
> I think I still need another chapter, but not much more.
> 
> And, on the subject of chapters, I had to cut this one to pieces and stick it back together so many times.

They froze, both breathing hard, fingers extended accusingly at each other, like a scene from some intense courtroom.

A long second passed.

“So…” said Adrien, finally bringing his hand down, “I… I guess you figured that one out.”

“Ah…” said Marinette, and her hand dropped.  She scratched a finger lightly at her cheek.  “I mean…  I was pretty sure after you, you know, showed up in my dream, trying to save me from Hawkmoth.  And… And then I thought about it, and it was kind of obvious.  I… Probably should have figured it out earlier.”

Adrien laughed.  “I mean, if we’re talking about obvious, I only figured it out when I looked _directly into your head,_ and I’d _compared you to Ladybug_ before that!”

“Well,” said Marinette, sitting down, “it looks like we’ve got a pattern going; every time you’re in my head, someone loses their secret identity.  Maybe we should do it one more time, and see if we find out who Hawkmoth is.”

“7/10 it’s Father, 8/10 it’s Jagged Stone,” agreed Adrien, finally remembering the food Marinette had gotten out.

She blinked.

“What?”

“Oh, did you not read Alya’s article?” he said. “She posted it before lunch; it was all about the who’s who of Parisian superheroes, and… Supervillains.  We both made the right lists, but nowhere _near_ the top.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“No!  Actually, I made _two_ lists!  One second.”  Adrien reached into his pocket, and withdrew his phone.

One tap, two taps.

“Okay, so…”  He laughed, and read aloud.

 _“Marinette Dupain-Cheng:  Okay, so maybe I’m biased because she’s my best friend, but she really does have the heart of a hero, even going so far as to fight a supervillain solo, lasting long enough for the_ real _Ladybug and Chat Noir to show up.  That said, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ladybug trip over her own feet, and I’m not sure I’m even capable of imagining it.  That in mind, we’ll go with a safe rating of 6/10.”_

Marinette smiled.  “Sounds like Alya.  Who was her top pick?”

“Uh…”  Adrien laughed.  “Chloe in a wig.”

For a second Marinette was almost offended, and then…

“But…  Wait, even without the whole _personality_ thing, aren’t there—"

“Mhm,” said Adrien, grinning.

_“Chloe Bourgeois:  What better disguise for the altruistic hero of Paris than Chloe Bourgeois?  Put aside your preconceived notions of what you think Ladybug must be like as a civilian, and remember that for a superhero, the first priority must always be concealing their identity…”_

“I mean, sure, but,” said Marinette, and Adrien held up a finger.

_“…and what better cover for an identity than to make everyone believe you’re another superhero.  I put forth that Queen Bee was a fabrication, much like the times Chloe has supposedly been ‘akumatized,’ designed to completely exonerate Chloe from being Ladybug.  Well, I’m on to you.  10/10.”_

Marinette put her head into her hands, giggling.

“What did she say for Chloe being Queen Bee, then?”

“Uh…  _Chloe Bourgeois:  Too obvious.  0/10.”_

Marinette burst out laughing.

“But, but!  _Adrien Agreste:  That blonde hair, and that rich upbringing, mean that if Adrien were to let out his inner arrogance, then he’d be a perfect match for Queen Bee.  And who else would think first of insulting Hawkmoth’s fashion sense but the son of a fashion designer?  7/10, the blonde hair should have given it away.”_

“Wow, she’s so—” Marinette could barely finish the sentence.  She tried to control her breathing.  “So _accurate.”_

“And I have the dubious honor of making _two_ of these lists,” said Adrien, “because I’m also marked for Chat Noir.”

“I mean… She’s already suggested that you look alike.”

He laughed.  “Well, she has that right.  _Adrien Agreste: There’s no denying that he has the looks, but if I can’t imagine Ladybug tripping over her own feet, I can’t imagine Adrien doing_ this.” He turned the phone, to show her a picture of the interview where he’d gotten a few inches from Nadja Chamack’s face.  It was captioned, ‘ _I was told there would be chouquettes?’_ Adrien laughed, and then tried to find his place.  _“That said, if you imagine that Chat Noir is just Adrien letting go of 90% of his impulse control, it kind of works.  6/10.”_

“I think she’s got you figured out,” said Marinette, “At this rate, Ladybug will need to pay her a visit to stop spilling all of our secrets.”

“I mean, at least she’s consistent, right?” said Adrien, “she gave both of the _real_ Ladybug and Chat Noir a 6/10.”

“We’re like the _bargain bin superheroes of Paris._ ”

“Chat Noir with impulse control, and Ladybug without coordination.  I wonder if she’d figure it out if I went crazy and you took up gymnastics.”

“I somehow doubt we’ll have any trouble with that.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” said Adrien, grinning, “I was barely able to handle knowing that you liked me for a few _days,_ and that was _before_ I knew you were Ladybug.  I’m losing track of what ‘impulse control’ even means.”

“Yeah, well…  I’m not sure if you’d shown up as Chat Noir, even _before_ I was sure.”

“I mean, I’ve _definitely_ shown up as Chat Noir before you knew who I was.”

Marinette blushed.  “Well… I mean… Like, just now, instead of Adrien.  I… I wasn’t actually sure you were Chat Noir, honestly, even as I said it.  If you’d denied it, I’d probably have just been really _embarrassed._ ”

“Caught me out with a shot in the dark, then?” said Adrien, “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

“Yeah…” said Marinette.

“So… If I’d shown up as Chat Noir…?”

“Listen, I really wanted to…  Listen, I was warm and sleepy.  You _know_ what I’m like when I’m warm and sleepy.”

He seemed to search, and then his expression twisted.  “Ah.  When you’re warm and sleepy… _You aren’t resistant to my raw animal magnetism._ ”

Marinette slowly, inexorably, put her face into her hand at that.

“I’m beginning to regret this, but… Yes?”

“Regret?  But _why?”_

“Because you’re going to take every opportunity to drive me crazy now that you don’t have to pretend you’re not Chat Noir.”

“I like to think I was driving you crazy anyway.”

She sighed.  “Would it help if I reminded you that I can throw you out a window?”

“I prefer to think of it as you not needing a line to pick me up, and I consider it a bonus.”

“Well maybe I’ll just transform, and I’ll have enough _line_ to hang you from the Eiffel Tower by your _feet._ ”

“Oh, sounds _exciting,”_ said Adrien, grinning, “Just imagine the headlines about how we must have such a _tempestuous_ relationship.”

“You’d have a hard time reading them when you’ve passed out from all the blood rushing to your head.”

He leaned forward, slightly.  “Well, the blood always rushes to my head when I’m around you.”

“Well,” she said, grasping around for an appropriate comeback, “the _groans_ always rush to my _mouth_ when I’m around you.”

“Those lucky groans,” he said, grinning widely, “I’d be _glad_ to rush to your mouth.”

Marinette stopped, and leaned back, slowly.

“Wow…”

“Too much?”

_Too much?_

Too much for the girl who had learned early on how to take all but the most sincere of Chat Noir’s declarations of love on the chin?

Too much for the girl who’d had a crush on his civilian identity for almost two years?

If this had been coming from Adrien a few days ago, she’d have been a smoking wreck on the floor.

But it wasn’t a few days ago, and there was no _way_ she’d give him the pleasure of falling apart that easily.

So… Was it too much?

“Only if you can’t back it up.”

He froze.

\--

“Wh-  What?” he said.

“I said,” she said, leaning forward, “ _only if you can’t back it up._ You talk a big game.”

It felt like they’d been fencing, and he’d just been disarmed.

“Ah—” he said.  “Well, I mean…”  He blinked.

A second passed.  She gave him a curious look.

“Nothing?  Has Chat Noir’s famous charm run out?”

His mouth moved fruitlessly, as he tried to find a response, _any_ response.  He couldn’t say just _back down_ and say no, and he wasn’t sure he’d even be able to muster up the boldness if he said _yes._

She placed a hand on his shoulder.

//

 _The touch is gentle, but the burning triumph inside is_ not. _She’s won, and she knows it._

 _If that was all he felt, he might even be able to recover, but there’s also the same_ burning _he felt the very first time she ran into him, which was almost too much for him then,_ before _he knew who she was._

_His heartbeat accelerates._

_He feels almost numb, not sure he even remembers how to move a hand.  Certainly, he wouldn’t be able to even resist the slightest force, such as…_

_She pulls, and he follows, swinging forward into-_

//

He recoiled as his teeth made contact with Marinette’s, a touch harder than was pleasant for either of them.

 _“Oh, ah, no,”_ he managed, jolted out of his reverie by the burning, rapidly fading pain in his teeth.

Marinette had gone bright red, shrinking down in her seat, seemingly more affected by embarrassment than pain.

“ _Okay,”_ he said, “ _Well.”_

“Too much superstrength.”

 _“Too much superstrength,”_ he agreed.

“I mean…  It was a pretty good attempt, though, right?”

“I…” he laughed.  “I mean, yeah, you had _me_ knocked out, _I mean, with the whole flirting thing, not the hitting my teeth part_ …  Just gotta be a bit more gentle next time.”

She laughed, a bit abashed.

A second passed.

“They should really put warning labels on Miraculouses,” she said, “or at least the kwami should tell you.  _Side Effects Include: Super Strength,’ or something.”_

_“Side Effects Include: Super Strength, bruised teeth.”_

_“Empathy.”_

_“Revealed identities.”_

_“Arguments about who’d be marrying up.”_

_“An utter inability to function.”_

She laughed.  “Silly.  That's not your Miraculous, that's just me.”

A second passed, neither of them able to find another side-effect close to mind.

“Out of curiosity… How long do you think you have to wait before ‘next time,’ makes sense?”

“Well…  You could wait until I’m least expecting it, or until it would be really romantic.  You could go for an anniversary of the first time.”

Marinette nodded, slowly.

“Well.  I think an anniversary is too long.”

“Agreed.”

“And…  Hm…  Are you… Are you expecting it now?”

Adrien blinked, and the smile slowly spread across his face.  “Well…  I don’t think I possibly could be.  Obviously, you’d _have_ wait a few days at least, or at least, one would _assume,_ so… I have no idea what I’d even be expecting.”

Marinette giggled.

“Well then, I think when you least expect it might be my best option.”

“I agree,” he said.  “Now, since you can’t _possibly_ about to be about to try again, I should get back to some of this _delicious_ food your family made.”

 

He never saw it coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand scene.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few snapshots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Kicks down your collective door*  
> Alright, folks, last chapter! This just under 3 month odyssey is finally over, and we're coming in safe to harbor.

Three plates of leftovers, a couple best-of-three mechastrike duels, and two _completely_ unexpected kisses later (what could she say, he turned _really_ red, and it was too adorable to pass up), Adrien finally ran out of excuses to stay.  Not to say that she _wanted_ him to leave; it was just that according to all stated logic, he had come here to make sure she was okay, and the longer he stayed, the more awkward questions there might be all round.

So, when his ride finally arrived, she’d made no bones about him needing to leave promptly.

She’d said it honestly, but he’d leaned in, and wrapped his arms around her, and she’d had a hard time holding onto that commitment.

 _“See you tomorrow night?”_ he whispered.

She tried to maintain her composure, an effort that was made all the harder by the fact that she knew he was _entirely_ aware of exactly how she felt, and laughed.

_“I’ll leave the skylight open.”_

His arms tightened for a second, and then…

He pulled away, took a deep breath.

“I’m glad that you’re feeling better after your nightmare, Marinette,” he said, a trifle _too_ cleanly, and winked at her.

She giggled.  “Well, I’m certainly glad you stopped by to make sure I was okay, and for no other reason.”

He started walking away.

\--

It had been over a month since Ladybug had done, _that,_ to Destruction Worker, and Hawkmoth was rapidly losing his mind.

He was nowhere _near_ giving up yet, but it seemed like every villain he sent out… Grandshake, defeated in 4 minutes, Zillionaire, just over 2, and the 42nd rendition (43rd?  He was losing track) of Mr. Pidgeon…  Of course, he never really amounted to much, but _under ten seconds_ of not amounting to much?

Ladybug had been bad enough before, when she just had a knack for planning _around_ his supervillains, but now the balance had shifted, and unless he focused on strength, she could usually win in a straight-up fight.  And if he _did_ focus on making them strong, they were usually animalistic, and she just planned around them like it was _nothing,_ to say nothing of the fact that Chat Noir was still a completely viable threat in his own right, and the other Miraculouses she could call on…

Nathalie had visibly deteriorated since she’d started working with him, and if he kept this up, he’d lose the only asset that was keeping him from being _completely_ outgunned…

And… And also Nathalie.  It wasn’t like he’d enjoy that, either.

He could try turning her into Catalyst again, but that would require engineering _another_ mass event like he’d done on heroes’ day, and he didn’t even know where Lila Rossi had _gone._   He didn’t have Volpina, and he could barely afford to have Mayura.

Still.  He’d keep trying, and eventually, he’d hit on _something_ that could get him a victory, or, if nothing else, at _least_ another Miraculous that wouldn’t put his assistant into a coma.

But for now, who knew when _that_ would happen.

\--

_A particularly astute observer would likely have noticed that something was going on, starting shortly after a nightmare-inducing villain had attacked._

_And now, two months hence…_

_Ladybug stood there, a bored expression on her face, finger wrapped up in the cord of her yo-yo._

_“I told you I would,” she said, sounding almost annoyed, “so I don’t think you have anyone to blame but yourself.”_

_Chat Noir laughed.  “And_ I _told you that I’d welcome it, and I certainly do.”_

_“I remember you saying that, certainly,” agreed Ladybug, “but I don’t see any of the reporters you were hoping for, which I think leaves the advantage with me.”_

_From the way Ladybug rolled it her eyes, it was safe to say that Chat Noir had winked at her._

_“Then I guess I’ll just have to entice you into doing this again at a better time.  In the meantime,_ I’m _not complaining.  You already had me_ wrapped up _in your charms.”_

_Ladybug sighed, and Chat Noir rose slightly higher above the ground as she put her face in the hand that was holding onto her yo-yo’s string._

_She muttered something under her breath that an astute listener would have parsed to be something about regretting that his Miraculous was keeping him from being affected by his position._

_“I get plenty of practice with the blood rushing to my head anyway,” he said, “after all, I spend plenty of time with-_

_“You already used that line!” cut in Ladybug._

_“And it worked so well_ that _time!”_

 _“Well, maybe I don’t want it to be that_ simple _for you,” said Ladybug._

_\--_

The clip went viral almost the _instant_ Alya posted it, but deep down, she knew that if they hadn’t prevailed on her to cut it off _there,_ it would have been _even more_ popular.

\--

_“Alright then,” said Chat Noir, craning his neck so his face was a bit closer to her.  “Then how about this one…”_

_He said something, not quite audible, and Ladybug went pale, the string she’d been holding onto almost_ popping _off of her finger._

_“Ah—” said Chat Noir, now in a pile on the floor, “too… Too soon?  I’m…  I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, if you want me to wait until some other time, or—_

_His rapid backtracking was suddenly cut off, as Ladybug, who seemed to have pulled back into white so that she could slingshot directly into a bright red, wrapped him in what must have been a bonecrushing hug._

_Most viewers would have agreed that Ladybug didn’t say a word, but Chat Noir, apparently would have disagreed with them._

_“Oh,” he said, after a second, “I see.  I really do mean it, you know.”_

_Ladybug let out a weak giggle._

_“I know you do, you silly kitty.”_

\--

Alya of course, told them _all about_ what she’d seen, in person, the next day at school.

“I’m _serious,_ ” she said, leaning forward onto the table they’d co-opted to eat on, grinning wide, “I swear to you, after _everything,_ they’ve _got_ to be together.  Like, I don’t _know_ what he said, but from the way she just _dropped_ him, it must have been something _serious._ ”

“Or it was just like, ‘I’m covered in mud, and you’ll get your yo-yo’ dirty,” said Nino, shrugging.

“Hush, you,” said Alya, “I’m not kidding.  They _asked me to cut the footage,_ seemed really serious about it.  I’m pretty sure it was something personal.”

Adrien idly reached out a hand, and rested it lightly on Marinette’s back, low enough that nobody else at the table would see it.

//

 _Relief, presumably that Alya actually_ did _cut the footage, sparks lightly into shock, and settles back down, as she almost casually accepts the contact._

_“Well,” she says, “I think it’s great that you at least respected their wishes.”_

_Alya laughs, a trifle ruefully.  “Yeah, I mean…  I’m just imagining how popular the clip would have been if I’d gotten the whole thing, but…  I guess it’s for the best, right?  I’m fairly certain that at least a_ few _Akumas were caused by a lack of privacy, and… just imagine Ladybug and Chat Noir turned against the city.”_

_“Well, I mean,” says Nino, as there’s a twist of distaste from Marinette, “he’s after their Miraculouses, right?  He’d probably just have them hand them over, and untransform them.”_

_“Well, I don’t want to find out what he’d do with them_ anyway, _” says Alya._

 _“Probably something big and villain-y” says Nino.  “Hey, maybe that could be your next article.  Top 5 things Hawkmoth would do if he_ did _get Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculouses.”_

_Adrien rolls his eyes, and as Alya and Nino continue their discussion, he looks over at Marinette._

_She catches the movement and looks back at him._

_Her expression is even, and more questioning than anything._

_She feels… Honest, and open, more than anything, and right now, that is_ exactly _the thing calibrated to set his heart racing._

_Alya and Nino are busy with something else, so it’s not like anything stopping him from…_

_No._

_As much as he’d love to even the score between them, vis-à-vis who catches the other off-guard with a kiss, right now, what he really wants…_

_He wraps his arm the rest of the way around her waist, and slides her closer, until she bumps up against him._

_And there, the sun shining through the window, his friends hammering out the details of a new article, and Marinette beside him, lighting up his heart from the inside out, Adrien is happy to sit, and he knows, knows for a_ fact, _that she’s happy, too._

_And that’s all he needs to know._

_-The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww *man* this story was a long runner. Almost 3 months, which I believe is a new record.  
> Speaking of records, I would like to offer all of my appreciation to all you readers out there, leaving your kudos, comments, favorites, subscriptions, and of course, that simplest of things, the humble view. You've been great, and waking up to an inbox of comments the morning after posting a chapter has kept me writing long past what I would have managed without feedback.
> 
> If you enjoyed this story, which I certainly hope you did, since you just read 60k+ words of it, I'd like to draw your attention to some of my other works, such as No Ring? No Problem, which, as well as also having punctuation in its title, is my only fic whose length compares to this one, and also features high-stakes combat, or, for something a bit shorter, maybe The Medusa Challenge, which features a similar degree of accidental contact giving people Emotions™. Or, of course, if you feel like it, you could just subscribe directly to me, and wait around for my next fic (Which, incidentally, I've already got plans for).
> 
> Finally, I would like to once again offer my thanks to Yunyin, without whose art this fic wouldn't exist (And also apologies for running off with the idea and never coming back), specifically that piece of art->https://yunyin.tumblr.com/post/185160889075 Which inspired me to start on this, and then... Well, you just read the rest.
> 
> I think that covers everything! Thank you all so much for reading, and have a great day, everyone!


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